What does a foster carer do?

The day-to-day tasks carried out by each foster carer will be different. This will depend on the children or young people they are looking after and the plans for the child. Below is a list of some aspects of the work to bear in mind. Don’t worry if some of it is beyond your experience as foster carers are provided with training and support to help them deal with the more difficult aspects of being a foster carer.

Children and young people who are separated from their families, even for a very short period of time, will feel confused, anxious and distressed. Foster carers can comfort the child or young person and reassure them that their family still cares about them. Distress and not being able to understand what is happening to them may make some children behave in difficult ways so foster carers need to stick with them and help them find ways of coping.

Cultural background

All children have a cultural background and heritage. Foster carers need to acknowledge and respect this. We try to match the carers to the culture and origins of each child or young person.

Working with the parents

Foster carers work with the child’s parents and help the child or young person to be reunited with them. They welcome and encourage the family’s contact with the child. They tell the parents about the child’s wellbeing. They need to be able to put themselves in a parent’s position and imagine how they might be feeling. They try to keep them involved in the child’s life.

Safety

Some children and young people will have been abused or neglected. Foster carers have to ensure the safety of all the children they are looking after, including their own children. Foster carers have to be alert to the risks to all children or young people they are looking after and act to protect them. They also need to show and teach children how to keep themselves safe.

Support for Foster Carers

Social workers and foster carers work in partnership with parents to help them look after their children. Every child and young person who is looked after has a social worker. Foster carers talk to the social worker to discuss how the child or young person is getting on. Records about the child or young person’s development and progress need to be kept. Social workers visit the child or young person, usually in the foster home. These are regular meetings for the child or young person, their family, social workers and the foster carers to discuss the situation and plan what happens next.

Children and young people need to gain as much as possible from their education. Foster carers need to encourage children to learn and enjoy school. They may have a lot of contact with schools or colleges and will need to support the child or young person in doing homework.

Health and wellbeing

All children and young people also have health needs. Foster carers have to promote and protect the physical and mental health of children and young people they look after. This may be arranging for regular dental and eye tests or medical attention for a particular person so they can express their feelings. They also have to talk to social workers about any concerns and press for any extra services the child needs.

Confidentiality

Foster carers have access to confidential information about the child or young person and their family. Confidentiality is vital. Foster carers have to respect and protect the child and their family’s confidentiality. Even their own family may have to respect that they can only know a little about why a child is being looked after.

Fostering is not like any other work

Fostering involves the whole family and takes place in the foster carer’s own home. It is very rewarding but can also be demanding. Children or young people and their families can be very challenging. Working in partnership with many different people can be difficult. Foster carers must be able to pay special attention to their own children’s needs and recognise when they need help from someone else to solve a problem or relieve stress. It is very important that people who want to become foster carers have enough information to help them decide whether fostering is right for them and their families. They also need to decide whether this is the right time for them to be fostering. They also need training to prepare them for the task.

More information

If you would like more information about fostering, please contact the Social Work Family Placement Team at:

Children's Services
11 Market Street
Galashiels TD1 3AD
(01896 757230

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