You may have heard the saying that fostering a child is a highly rewarding experience. That is because, it is true. Becoming a foster carer is a brilliant path for a certain group of people who are empathy driven and understand how to adapt while retaining practicality. Below, there are five reasons to show why foster carers are highly rewarded, and why the role is so impactful.
Number One: You Are Changing Lives
You will be, first and foremost, changing the life of someone who needs it. Sometimes, a strong foster placement is the difference between a child following the path they were always supposed to find and going down a darker one instead. Foster carers provide a safe space for children in the foster system and represent a point of security for them to move forward from and engage with life more authentically with a great support system behind them.
Number Two: You Gain a Unique Perspective
Wherever you decide to go in life after this particular career stint, you will take your skills as a foster carer along for the ride. The things you learn are invaluable and long-lasting, creating a profound impact on the way you evolve and grow. This unique perspective is not something to be taken lightly because it is a wonderful factor that should be celebrated.
Number Three: There are Remunerative Benefits
On a practical level, the role of foster carer is a job. That is why the fostering allowance exists, to compensate and provide a monetary reward for participation. Caring for children means spending money on them and providing food, entertainment and so on. There will be expenses, and this allowance ensures that you are not out of pocket and that the children you look after have everything that you need.
Number Four: There is a Lot to Learn
There are so many new skills and life lessons that you will absorb throughout your career as a carer. You will learn something new on a weekly basis, and this is not including all of the many hours of training you will undertake as you learn how to be the best carer possible. This knowledge will stick with you for the rest of your days and be highly transferable if you choose to change career paths further down the line. It’s not only you that will see these benefits either; any birth children living at home will also gain a fresh perspective on life and learn some valuable lessons early on that will shape their development positively.
Number Five: Families in Crisis Depend on You
There are hundreds of reasons why children go into foster care placements. It is not always a case of abuse or neglect, and for those families who are suffering through a crisis it could be a lifeline of support that brings them close to finding peace and a way forward. You could provide that for them and help someone’s life in a genuine way.
As you can see, deciding to foster a child is highly rewarding for many different reasons. If you feel as though you could open up your home to a child in need, take the first steps today.