Berry Street Web Docs Foster Care Info Pack | Page 10

Frequently Asked Questions
If you are considering becoming a foster carer you need to ask yourself and your family a number
of important questions:
What do foster carers do? How will fostering impact my lifestyle?
Foster carers look after children and young
people in their own home. A foster carer
and their family provide care, support and
stability for a child or young person in a
caring home environment. Caring will ultimately have an impact on the whole family
unit and it is therefore important to have established
networks who can be available in times of support or
when needing time out.
Foster carers also help children to keep in
touch with their parents, brothers, sisters
and other significant people. Wherever
possible, siblings requiring foster care are
kept together to reduce further trauma. As
part of their role, foster carers often take
children to and from school, and to activities
such as football training, ballet, counselling
appointments or to see their family.
Foster carers are part of what is known as
the care team, which is the group of people
who shares responsibility for assessment,
planning and care for a child while they are
living away from their family. The care team
usually involves the parents, the foster
carer, the Berry Street caseworker, the Child
Protection worker and any other significant
adults, all working together to consider the
things that any good parent would naturally
consider when caring for their own children.
Is the timing right for my family to
foster?
Caring for a child or young person can be
quite challenging. Carers need to have time,
energy and space available - both physically
and emotionally. Is this the right time in your
and your family’s life for a new chall