Why do children need foster care?
There are many factors that may lead to children being fostered. Children may come into care due to illness, relationship problems, family breakdown, or perhaps a situation where the child’s welfare is threatened.
Many children who require foster care have experienced some degree of neglect, and/or physical, emotional or sexual abuse. All of them will have experienced loss and separation from their birth family. Even if the child presents a happy and smiling front, their past experiences will almost certainly have an effect on their behaviour and development.
Some children express their emotions and feelings through difficult or challenging behaviour, such as tantrums, or being withdrawn, aggressive, clingy, rejecting, or over-compliance. Other children may act older or younger than their years, or as a result of being placed with many different foster carers, may not know what is expected of them. They may also find it difficult to develop trusting relationships with adults.
No two children who require foster care are the same – each and every placement comes with its own fresh challenges, even for the most experienced carers. It’s one of the joys of fostering, and something we’d love you to experience too.
Helping children to deal with their past
Through our Life Story Work, we provide a range of services that help children and young people in care to understand and make sense of their past. Life Story Work encourages children to document their looked after time, enabling them to make connections in their later years.
Learn more about Life Story Work
Did you know?
In the Republic of Ireland there are currently over 5,000 children and young people under the age of 18 in the care of the HSE. Approximately 90% are living with foster carers.
For a further insight…
We’ve created a couple of examples of children and young people who are looked after with different needs, therefore requiring different approaches and responses. Click on each name to read more.
Shortage Of Carers
Foster carers needed for older children & young people - FFI needs more foster carers for children and young people aged 10-18 across Ireland...
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