Children Who Foster

NEXT STEP FOSTERING SERVICES

GUIDE FOR BIRTH CHILDREN

At Next Step we recognise that the children of the foster carers play an important role in helping their parents and in helping and supporting the foster children.

We involve the children who foster in our assessments, reviews for foster carers and also offer trips and activities to then during holiday periods.

As well as this, a member of Next Step staff is available to meet children to discuss their feelings if this is helpful.

Please see some messages below if you are a child considering fostering, and also go to the frequently asked questions, document under ‘considering fostering’.

Well, there's no doubt that if your parents are going to become foster-carers there will be some exciting changes at home. The new children who join your family will be strangers, though in our experience they won't be strangers for long! Very soon, they are likely to become friends and real] members of the family!

You might not always necessarily get on with the foster children right away but the changes they'll bring to your family can be wonderful, and will encourage you to see everything in a new way.

 Next Step Fostering knows that as a child of foster carers you will have all sorts of questions to ask us and that there will also be probably many things you will want to talk about and even get advice about.

That is why we have friendly, regular courses and events at Next Step Fostering where you can come and find out more about fostering. You will get to know many of us here, and your Link Worker will happily talk with you when they visit your home.

We really hope you will come along to some of our events and let us answer your questions about this big new change that's come (or about to come) for your family.