We are dedicated to all children and young people who find themselves in need of our foster carers, but this month we are focusing on siblings and fostering sibling groups!
Recent estimates by The Fostering Network show over 8000 foster carers are required to meet the number of children and young people requiring foster placements.
Some of these young people include siblings, and foster carers willing to foster them are needed!
What is it like to foster siblings?
You might wonder what it is like to foster siblings, so we asked some of our dedicated foster carers to tell you their side:
“One of the most important tasks was getting my head around how to deal with many different personalities displayed by three different Looked After Children.”
AJ and Jayne say, “We fostered a boy of 12 and girl of 5, who were brother and sister. The boy stayed for four years and then returned to live with his mother.
The children provided support to each other and we feel that it helped them to cope with the anxiety of coming into care and enabled them to continue their strong loving bond.”
Theresa said “We originally started with siblings, age 2 and 3 (Girls), then we had twins (Boys), and now we have 11 and 14 year old (Girls).
Each of the groups represent a different set of challenges and require different care. Even when they are siblings / twins, they have their individual characters and they think and judge differently.
Their aims are different and invariably their abilities differ. It is therefore important to listen to each of them, as individuals, and act accordingly.”
Fostering can seem a daunting task, so fostering more than one child might seem impossible.
It is possible.
It is so important that siblings have each other for support when coming into care, and this is only possible if there are foster carers willing to care for them.
Do you have room in your home and your heart to foster siblings? Get in touch today via our enquiry form or call us on 0800 389 0143.