Thinking about becoming a Foster parent? If you feel that becoming a foster parent is your calling, you can make your dream of fostering children come true! Becoming a foster carer has many benefits and can be classified as any other regular field people work towards making a career in.
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However, before becoming a foster parent you need to follow certain steps and undergo training via foster care organizations.
Who is eligible to become a foster parent?
There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to the question of who is eligible for being able to become a foster parent. Few of the necessities of qualifying to apply for becoming a foster parent are:
- Over 21 years of age
- Have a spare bedroom
- As long as you are fit and healthy to take care of a child
- Not declared bankrupt in the past
- No criminal convictions
Other than these there is no importance given to your marital status, your sexuality, your gender or any other such factors. So, if you fulfill all the above necessities you can easily apply for becoming a foster parent.
Why is fostering important?
#1 - Provides a Safe and Stable Environment for Children
There are many children who are for some reason without a family. This can be an extremely difficult situation to deal with for a child. By becoming a foster parent and providing these children with a safe and secure home to live in and experience being a part of a family can be a very important thing for the child and his/her future. This can play an important role in helping the normal development of the children’s behavior.
#2 - Helps in Providing a Good Education
Having a home to go to also means that the child will have an opportunity to go to the same school. Constantly shifting schools can be very hard for children socially and can also hamper their learning abilities. By becoming a foster parent, you are giving these children a chance to have a good schooling and get educated well.
#3 - Provides Children with a Family
Foster care helps children have a second chance in becoming a part of a family before they find their permanent homes and parents who adopt them. Adoption can take time. During that time if these children are left alone without experiencing what it is like to be in a good home and part of a loving family, this can have a negative impact on both their mental and physical growth.
Why become a foster parent?
#1- Provides Children with a Family
When you do something good for somebody else you feel this inexplicable feeling which is very satisfying and adds to your life experiences. By providing a child with a safe home and loving family you are playing an important role in that child’s life in many ways. Providing love, security, stability has a positive impact on the child in ways that cannot be measured.
#2 - Get Trained
Fostering will provide you with an opportunity to undergo training which helps in expanding your skills in this field. While being a foster parent you are faced with various situations and challenges which can prove to be a big learning experience for you as well. By becoming good foster parents, you will be gaining invaluable lessons which can be used for raising your own children in the future.
#3 - Develop Life-Long Bonds
Fostering is said to be among the topmost rewarding jobs. It is not simply a job since you get to meet wonderful children with whom you will develop irreplaceable bonds. Not only will you be helping these children have a better life, but they too will change your life in a way which you won’t be able to imagine. These bonds last a lifetime and you surely will be thankful for being a part of their lives. Many foster parents end up adopting their foster children as well.
Make It a Full Time Job and Get Paid for Fostering
Another important benefit of fostering is that you can make this as a full-time job as you get paid for fostering. People who get into fostering are definitely not in it for money, however, money is extremely important for every individual to be able to meet their needs.
The payment for fostering includes 2 parts:
#1 - Payment for the child- This payment includes all the money required for the foster child. This includes basic necessities like food, clothing, activities, travel and weekly personal allowance. This also includes other expenses like the dentist, optician, equipment’s, sports, traveling and other such expenses.
#2 - Your payment- Fostering is like any other job and you will also be paid for your service. The money provided for foster parents is pretty generous, however, the pay varies from person to person and depends on many factors. The amount you will be paid depends on your experience, type of fostering that you will be doing (overnight stays, daycare, holiday stays placements that last weeks, regular planned weekends or months or several years)
The payment can be a bit complicated and to understand it better you can read and inquire about the monetary details through organizations like Perpetual Fostering. You will be able to gain some clarity and get a clear understanding about the payment as Perpetual Fostering shares how much foster carers get paid.
It’s a Win-Win Situation
Fostering is a complex job. It is not like a 9-5 job which you can leave behind at the end of the day. It can be challenging at times, however, the satisfaction and gratitude you feel after seeing the children benefit from the efforts you make cannot be compared to anything else. Fostering is beneficial for both the child and the foster parent. It helps both the parties grow and develop in their own aspect individually as well as together. This can be called a job; however, it is much more than and unlike any other job.
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