Can I Foster if my Child has Additional Needs?

If you have a child with additional needs, such as complex physical or mental health needs or a neurological disorder like Autism or ADHD, you may be wondering what it would be like to foster as a family. 

Many people choose to foster alongside raising their own children, but things can be a little more complicated if your own child has additional needs. Read on to help you decide if fostering is right for your family at this time. 

Is my child ready to foster?

Fostering is a huge decision, and it becomes even bigger when you have your own children to think about. The answer as to whether you’ll be able to foster while caring for your own child isn’t as simple as a blanket ‘yes’ or ‘no’— instead, the answer will depend entirely upon your family’s unique needs. 

Every child with additional needs is different, and only you will know your child best. In your role as a foster parent, you must be able to fully meet the needs of both your own children and your foster children. When you get in touch with us, our team will work with you to help you decide if you’re ready to welcome another child into your home. 

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Things to consider…

When deciding whether or not fostering is right for you, ask yourself…

• Can I accommodate all of my child’s needs while fostering? 

• Can I accommodate all of my foster child’s needs while fostering? 

• Can I foster while still taking good care of my physical, mental and emotional health?

Let’s take a look at each of these considerations in a bit more detail. 

1. The needs of your child

Fostering will have an impact on your entire household, and it’s important that it’s the right choice for every member of your family. Your first responsibility will always be to the children already living in your home, which is why you need to carefully consider your child’s needs before deciding to foster. 

Living with a foster sibling comes with amazing benefits such as providing children with companionship and helping them to build empathy skills, but it also comes with its challenges. These can include:

• Adjusting to the change of having a new sibling

• Struggles with sibling jealousy 

• Learning to share their space, belongings and their time with you

• Mimicking their foster sibling’s behaviours

• Dealing with loss if their sibling returns home to their family or moves on

Not all children with additional needs will be able to thrive while their family fosters, and that is perfectly okay. Carefully consider your child’s needs and, if possible, involve them in the decision. Learn more about how fostering might impact your own children.

1. The needs of the children you’ll foster

It is equally as important to carefully consider the needs of the children you’ll be welcoming into your home. Many children who need foster homes will have experienced multiple challenges in their young lives, such as being separated from their loved ones or facing neglect or abuse. These experiences, known as Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACE’s, may lead to trauma. 

Children who live with the effects of trauma will need more support, time and attention than is usual in order to thrive. As a foster parent, you will need to balance meeting the needs of your foster child with your own child’s needs in order to create a safe and harmonious home environment for everyone. We’ll support you in this, and you’ll receive specialist training on how to provide therapeutic fostering to the children you care for. 

1. Your personal needs and strengths

Fostering is a wholly selfless act, but in order to give the best to the children in your care you’ll need to pay close attention to your own needs, too. To foster successfully without spreading yourself too thin, you’ll need to be honest with yourself and your family about what you can handle and what challenges fostering might bring. Ask yourself:

• How will fostering while caring for my own child’s support needs impact my physical and mental wellbeing, and that of my family members?

• Do I have a great support system who I can rely on? (Including family members, friends, or a partner)

• Will I have enough time and energy to give my all to the children in my home? (Remember: on top of your usual responsibilities with your own child, you’ll need to fulfil regular commitments with your foster child, including attending meetings and appointments, getting them to school and taking them to visit their birth family.)

The types of foster care which you’re interested in offering will also influence how successful you’ll be in balancing fostering while caring for a child with additional needs. For example, if your neurodiverse child struggles with changes in their routine, emergency fostering, where children arrive with short notice and only stay for short periods of time, may be challenging. However, they might thrive while living with a foster sibling who is in a long-term placement, meaning that they will stay in your family home until they turn 18. 

Being the parent to a disabled or neurodiverse child will mean that you have plenty of transferrable skills which could make you an incredible candidate to care for other children with complex needs. For example, if you have a child with ASD, you might thrive while fostering an autistic child alongside your own children. 

Learn more about fostering a child with a disability or download our click below to download our free guide ‘Disability and Mental Health: A Foster Parent’s Guide to Complex Needs.’

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FOSTERING A CHILD WITH AUTISM

How we’ll support you

Fostering when you have a child with additional needs requires support, and that’s why you can always rely on our team here at Fostering People. When you get in touch with us our team will asses your family’s unique needs to ensure that you’re ready to foster, taking everything which we’ve discussed above into account. 

We’ll support you through your fostering journey in a wide variety of ways, including:

• We’ll use a careful matching process to ensure that we find a great dynamic between the children in your home. 

• We offer 14 nights of respite care to all of our foster parents so that you can rest and recharge. 

• You’ll receive a generous fostering allowance. 

• We offer ample training opportunities where you can learn about all sorts of subjects including supporting neurodiverse children and sibling relationships. 

• We’ll provide you with plenty of guidance via our 24/7 helpline, our local support groups and sessions with your personal supervising social worker. 

Learn more about the vast range of support we offer. 

Support for your children 

Here at Fostering People we offer lots of support for our young people, designed to meet the needs of both your children and the children you’ll welcome into your home. Some of this support includes: 

• Specialist support for children with autism 

• A children’s council who have their say in how we do things here at Fostering People

• Regular fun and free family events, tailored to support your child’s needs 

• Therapeutic and educational support for foster children 

Is your family ready to foster? 

There are many children across the UK right now who are in need of stable, loving family homes. If you’re interested in opening your home to a child and learning more about what it takes to become a foster family, contact our team on 0800 3698512 or by filling in our enquiry form.