Fostering children can bring a lot of benefits to you and your family. You can help support a child who didn’t get the greatest start in life and can also help society by taking in someone that needs your help. However, if you already have a child living with you, they may be unsettled by the introduction of a foster child. Here’s how to discuss introducing a foster child into your family with your children:
Frame it as the Positive Thing it is
Fostering is a positive thing that helps a lot of people to get a good start in life. If your existing children are worried that they will get less love and attention once a foster child comes to stay at your house, it is best to assure them that they will get just as much of your time but will also be able to make a new friend and help someone less fortunate. There should not be any financial strain on the family that means your existing child will have to worry, either, because there is financial assistance for foster parents. You can find out more about this at thefca.co.uk which is a great resource for people considering fostering.
Talk to Your Child About Their Concerns
Your child may have concerns around a foster child joining your household that you haven’t even thought of yet. They may be worried about having a new sibling at school suddenly, or about whether you will still do all the things they are used to you doing as their parents. You can only address these concerns and make your child feel better about the upcoming arrangement with a foster kid joining the household if you listen to them. It isn’t always easy to get kids to talk about their worries, but in this case, it is really important to try to have good two-way communication and assuage their fears.
Get Them Excited
Children generally like the idea of having new friends, and of helping people. If your child is open to the idea of a new child coming to stay, and they know they aren’t losing out on anything by having the new child arrive, then chances are they will be excited about the experience of having a foster child to stay with them and be their new friend. If your child seems happy with the idea of a new brother or sister in the form of a foster child, then work with that excitement and allow them to help in the preparations for your foster child to arrive. Welcoming the foster child into the home can be a lot of fun and will be something both children have as a positive memory.
It is always a delicate situation when you want to foster children but already have kids in your home. However, if you talk to your child and reassure them then there is no reason it can’t be a good experience for everyone involved.
This article was contributed to the Not In Jersey site. Thank you to the author.
