Have you reached a point in life where you want to give more, have more of an impact and feel like you’re making a difference in someone’s life? Do you live in Milton Keynes and you’re currently weighing your options and looking into ways to make a change in your life? Perhaps you’ve realised that fostering a child could be your calling.
Fostering a child can be one of the most rewarding journeys you take in life, as you will be helping a child in need and giving them the support and understanding they need at such a crucial time.
Before jumping in, let’s take a closer look at what’s involved in fostering a child in Milton Keynes, so you can make an informed decision.
Understand the Different Types of Fostering
When people first look into foster care in Milton Keynes, they are often surprised by the different types of fostering. The word ‘fostering’ is an umbrella term used to describe long-term, short-term, emergency, parent and child, respite, fostering siblings, disability, unaccompanied and even teenager fostering. This means you’ve got many options as a foster carer, and you can find the one that makes sense for your lifestyle. The great news is that each of them are important, and no matter what kind of foster carer you are, you’ll be making a positive impact in the life of a child or children.
Understand the Process of Becoming a Foster Carer
Deciding you want to foster a child is huge, and it should be applauded, but there is a process involved and you’ll need to fit all the requirements to be approved. To provide foster care in Milton Keynes, you’ll need to go through a fostering assessment and a background check will be carried out. You’ll also need to attend a fostering panel and, if approved, the referrals and matching will take place. As you can see, it’s a lot of steps, with many requirements, and this is to ensure that the foster child is placed in the ideal home.
Understand the Ideal Foster Carer
So, who makes an ideal foster carer? It’s not one specific type of person; instead, there are several qualities you’ll need to possess to make you ideal for the role. You’ll need to be over 21 years old you must be legally allowed to work in the UK and have a spare room with enough space for a child to be comfortable and afford them privacy, preferably with enough room for a desk and set of drawers (but this isn’t always essential). From there, other qualities that can make you a great foster carer include patience, understanding, the ability to be supportive, and the desire to make a difference in a child’s life.
Things such as having existing children, being male or female, being married/single/divorced, straight/bisexual/gay or transgender don’t matter. Foster carers from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Choosing to foster a child means you’ll be taking on a massive life change, one that is filled with rewarding experiences that you’ll cherish for the rest of your life. It could be exactly what you’re ready for.
