Signs You Can Be a Good Foster Parent

Becoming a foster parent can be one of the most selfless and fulfilling decisions you’ll ever make in your life, but it’s not that simple. And rightfully so. It calls for total commitment towards giving a child a safe and stable temporary home after being removed from their birth parents’ care by the court because of family problems.

If you’re thinking of becoming a foster parent, the following will help you decide if you’re ready to be one:

Financial Stability

While you need not be rich, it is important to be financially stable so you can provide for all the needs of the child. Foster parents receive subsidies from the government (federal and state levels), but some costs will not be covered. Therefore, you cannot entirely rely on this support.

Dealing with Birth Parents

More than 50{9240367ca7c9081b6a95881a33af9ca7e989cb22e61da32c0614062dd38653a2} of foster kids eventually return to their birth families or primary custodians after getting the treatment or rehabilitation they needed while in foster care. Keep that in mind all the time, as well as the fact that communication between birth and foster parents will be the court’s discretion. There are cases in which birth parents are required by the court to visit their children frequently as a path towards a future reunion.

Correct Perception of Foster Children

One false belief about foster children is that they’re always so damaged and thus hard to care for. Fact is, children in foster care can be like any regular kids out there. But because of the family problems they’ve had to go through, they should still receive special and proper care for the emotional and behavioral issues they may face. Such issues can arise from various factors, such as the age of the child and what they went through in particular.

Having a Help Network

Foster parents often have the feeling of living in a glass house. You will be a focus of many eyes – teachers’, therapists’, neighbors’, social workers’, etc. One thing you will absolutely need is a solid outside network. So if you’re interested in foster-parenting a young kid, for instance, is there a daycare center within the vicinity of your home or your office? If you live alone and are employed, who can care for the child while you’re away or when you get sick? Certainly, this should be someone who has passed a criminal background check and will be available immediately.

Preparing for Goodbyes

Finally, you have to understand that as a foster parent, you will eventually have to say goodbye to the child when it’s time for them to return to their family. If the court doesn’t want such a reunion, hopefully, you can be first in line for the kid’s adoption if you wish so. Either way, kids need to leave foster care at a certain point, and there is a possibility that you will not hear from that child or know their whereabouts.
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