Berry Street Web Docs Foster Care Info Pack | Page 7

Common myths about foster care
1. Working full-time prevents you being a foster carer
Working full-time certainly doesn’t mean you can’t be a foster
carer. You can still provide all types of care to a child. Like many
families, there are lots of foster families where the carer or
carers work full-time or part-time. The most important thing
about being a foster carer is about providing a safe and stable
home for children and young people.
2. I’m in a same sex relationship – that rules me out
Providing a safe and stable home and caring for a child is what
makes a family, not the gender of the carers. If you can provide
a caring home, we want to hear from you!
3. I’m single so I’m not suitable to provide a family
environment
Families come in all shapes and sizes – and you certainly don’t
need to be a couple or married to be able to care for a child or
young person. Single, young people and older people can and
do provide care.
4. I’m only renting my place, and it’s not really set up
for a family
You do need to be able to provide a child with a bedroom or a
bedroom to share if it’s a group of siblings, but other than that,
as long as your home and surrounds are safe, it’s suitable.
5. I don’t have time to be a foster carer
Being a foster carer doesn’t have to mean being available all
day every day – we really need carers to provide all kinds of
care – whether it be emergency, short term, long term or
respite care for children. So please consider putting your
hand up even if you think you can care for a child or some
siblings one weekend a month.
6. I haven’t had any kids of my own and foster
carers need parenting experience
Parenting experience is certainly not required to
become a foster carer. The important thing is to be
prepared to learn along the way by being part of team.
Foster carers receive training and support to help
them through any difficulties.
“
Some of the children
have been so damaged
and abused that you
feel that they will never
recover. But as you
nurture, care, love and
spend time with them,
they begin to trust you
and you can watch their
self‑esteem grow back.
”