5 Necessary Skills for Foster Caregivers

There are thousands of children in the UK and around the world who are in need of care, but the majority of them have not had the opportunity to receive support from the foster care system. Consequently, this means that both private and government agencies are desperate for foster caregivers to provide adequate resources for delivering first class care to more children in need. If you have ever contemplated fostering a child but you are unsure if it is right for you, consider the following 5 skills that are necessary for providing the best care to a child in need.

1. Clear Communication

Foster carers need to have strong communication skills when interacting with a foster child. But they also need to be able to communicate clearly and effectively with all the different parties involved in the foster care process such as foster agencies, counselors, doctors, judges, teachers, birth parents, and local government authorities. If you are ready to begin Fostering in Glasgow, your communication skills will be helpful from the start when making initial contact with a local agency.

2. Empathy and Compassion

Compassion and empathy are intrinsically linked and they are both essential qualities for a foster caregiver. Every single foster child has experienced trauma on some level which outside caregivers are unlikely to fully understand. However, if you always act from a place of empathy and compassion, you will slowly begin to understand trauma-induced behaviors which will assist you in times when conflict resolution may be necessary.

3. Conflict Resolution

Some foster children have experienced severe trauma in the forms of physical or sexual abuse or extreme cases of neglect. Many coping mechanisms that abused children develop manifest in the form of acting out. Naturally, some of the more aggressive or dangerous behaviors may not align with the rules of your home. Therefore, you must be tenacious, strong-willed, and possess effective conflict-resolution skills in order to maintain a healthy structured environment for everyone in your home. Keep in mind that each child responds uniquely to different methods of discipline but you should never implement physical punishments especially for children who have suffered abuse trauma.

4. Ability to Work as a Team

Providing foster care involves many different people and agencies which requires a team player attitude. You will be obligated to consistently interact with biological parents, attend various appointments and meetings, and keep up with the required paperwork. Whenever you have to interact in your capacity as a foster caregiver, you need to act with professionalism on every level from being punctual to presenting yourself in a competent and polished manner.

5. Determination

Being a foster carer is rewarding, but there are definitely challenges along the way. Therefore, you need a strong sense of determination and commitment to providing the best possible care for as long as it is needed. Taking on the care of another person’s child is not a task for the weary. It can be an overwhelming, emotional, and exhausting process.

For you to be able to provide the best care possible, you need to also take care of yourself. Remember that it is okay to need a break and take one. Rely on your partner, if you have one, to pick up the slack while you replenish. If you need additional support, don’t hesitate to communicate that to your caseworker as they may be able to provide you with extra resources and helpful strategies.

There are a lot of skills required to be an effective foster caregiver. Assessing these skills and deciding if you have what it takes can leave you with a feeling of apprehension. However, if you are committed to the process and helping a child in need, you will find that you already have the necessary skills. In my opinion, if you want to do it and you are able to, then you probably should. Because I don’t want to live in a world where people don’t take care of each other. How about you?

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

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