How can I support a Fostering Family?

 

Opening your home to children who have other parents, ‘real parents’ and who are under the guardianship of the government, means loving these children fully because it is what they need, but constantly treading a line of respecting and honouring their birth parents and living by the expectations of the guardian had having your parenting assessed. Add to this, the needs of the children, children only enter care because they have experienced abuse or neglect.

 

Day to day may look like everyday family life and it often is, but just under the surface of every decision, every cuddle and I love you, is the question of ‘for how long’, ‘am I allowed to say that’, I want to protect you from any more harm, I want to respect your birth family, the ‘state’ is your corporate parent…

 

This is also why children in care and their carers need their church. Carers need a community to

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• Intentionally wrap around them with spiritual, practical and emotional support.

• Step into the lives of their children to offer healing and hope.

• Choose to understand the out of home care system, understand the impacts of trauma on their children.

• Choose to understand what role a caring community can play in the success of the placement and the healing of the child or young person. 

 

Foster, kinship and informal carers need other people in their life along the journey. Often it is just asking them what they need. Your church or small group could also set up some regular rhythms for carers in your church and community – a freezer of meals, a list of child safe babysitters, a monthly date night for carers, tutors, and mentors.