Living in foster care can be a challenging and upsetting experience for children. This is especially true if they have experienced trauma, neglect or similar issues at home, or have been bounced around from one foster home to another with no stability.
This is not to say that foster care is bad – far from it. In most cases it’s the best chance vulnerable children have of living a happy, healthy and well-adjusted life. It just means that efforts must be made to ensure that the process is as smooth and supportive as possible to protect the mental health of these young people. Read on to find out more.
Why children in care are at risk of mental health issues
There are many reasons why young people who are in care may be at greater risk of suffering from harmful mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD and social phobia. For example, in many cases they are being fostered because of trauma, abuse or neglect at home. This can have a huge psychological impact on a child, causing them to find it difficult to trust adults, regulate their emotions and so on.
Conversely, they might be in care because their parents have died or suffered an accident that leaves them unable to look after their children. This too can be traumatic for young people, and lead to the development of mental health concerns. In itself, the mere act of being separated from your family and taken to live in a stranger’s house can be frightening.
How foster parents can help those in their care
The good news is that there are lots of steps you can take as a foster parent to help avoid these problems and have a positive impact on the mental health of the child in your care instead. For instance, if you go through a reputable agency such as Fosterplus, you’ll have the chance to receive specialist training in topics such as child psychology, safeguarding and child behavior, which will help you to better understand how to support the young person you’re fostering.
It’s also good to make your home as welcoming as possible by setting up a comfortable and private spare bedroom for your foster child. This gives them somewhere they can feel safe. If they will be staying with you for a long time, you could even decorate it together as a fun way to bond and ensure that they feel the room is truly theirs.
There are also certain key personality traits that will help you to be the best foster parent you can be. These include:
- Compassion and empathy, to understand what your foster child has been through and respond with kindness
- Patience, because your foster child may exhibit some difficult behaviors or take a while to trust you
- Positivity, in order to stay motivated during tough times and also encourage your foster child to feel more optimistic too
Lastly, it can be useful to attend foster parent support groups, as well as events for the whole family. That way the child in your care can meet other children who are being fostered, while enjoying fun activities that they might never have had the opportunity to do before.
