How Will Fostering Affect My Children?

It's asking a lot for a child to share his or her parents and home with a stranger and yet foster carers own children can often hold the key to a successful placement.

Fostering involves everyone in the household and relies on working together, both within the family and the wider FFI team to make it a success. As with all families, there will be disagreements- but we strive to ensure that there also will be fun, friendship and fond memories.

As part of the foster carer assessment process, the social worker will have a session with any other children in the family on their own allowing them to say what they think about the idea.

Foster Carers' children have easy access to the family's Link Social Worker and contact with other young people in the area who are also part of a fostering family. Some areas have specific birth children groups offering support, the chance to talk, share their experiences and meet others in similar situations.

We also recognise that it's important for sons and daughters and their parents to spend time together without other children vying for attention, ensuring that each family has access to respite provision.