Why are children fostered?
Children and young people come into foster care for a variety of reasons. Some are obvious, some are not so obvious. Firstly and most commonly, there is a crisis in the child’s family and quite often there may be problems regarding the lifestyle of their parents or carers.
Many of the children who will be referred to us at Oasis Fostering Services will fall into this category, whereby the Local Authority is looking for a period of time with the child away from the home whilst they give the family the help they need and try to sort things out. Sometimes, Local Authorities need time to see what is actually going on within families and provide the support and assistance that will enable a successful return for the child.
Children & young people don’t come with instruction manuals!
There are cases whereby children may need to be moved to a place of safety for their own protection. This is when the risks involved for the child or young person are so serious that the child may have to be removed from the family home.
It may be that the child has already suffered - or is likely to suffer - from significant harm and leaving him, or her, at home would put them in even more danger. There may be no relatives or friends who can offer the young person a place of safety and so foster carers are sought. Quite often these placements are done on an emergency basis with little or no warning.
The children are the victims
Generally, it can be said that the majority of children and young people who do find themselves as part of the care system, are victims. They are often in a situation not of their choosing and often they have played no part in creating the conditions in which they find themselves. Whatever the reason, they are children and young people and need the safety and security that you as carers can provide.
It is a sad fact that sometimes no matter how well we do as parents, that on many occasions, children will do what they want to do. Children and young people don't come with instruction manuals! If you as carers can give a child praise, acceptance, recognition and approval … along with the other positives, then you will have gone a long way towards repairing the damage these children have suffered.