5 Tips for Prospective Foster Carers in Glasgow

Are you thinking about starting your foster carer journey in Glasgow? There is always a need for reliable carers in the community, but before you can get set up you need to learn what it takes and understand the best route for success.

These five tips will enable any prospective carer to maximise their potential and bring their best to the process. 

1. Choose Your Agency with Due Care and Attention

There are plenty of fostering agencies to pick from, but how do you know that you are making the right choice? To explore fostering in Glasgow you need an idea of what’s out there and where the best support lies. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and speak with the team to get a better sense of how they make you feel. The same can be said of exploring training options and placement variety too. 

2. Don’t Present as Someone That You Are Not

Foster carers do not have to be perfect human beings. There are specific prerequisites like not having an active addition to alcohol or substances and being over 21 years of age with a spare bedroom in your home. However, no one will ever be turned away because of a history of mental health, or minor historical misdemeanours like shoplifting. The primary things to demonstrate are that you will show up, that you care about the young people you will be taking care of, and that you are motivated enough to learn and grow in the role. 

3. Mentally Prepare

This venture is rewarding, but it is never smooth sailing all of the time. Just like any adult who looks after a child, whether that is birth families, adopted young ones, or foster children, there will always be things to work through right there alongside the successes and happy times too. Mentally preparing for both sides of the coin will enable you to take the amazing days with the less fun moments and bring it all together into a bigger picture moment. 

4. Keep the Conversation Open

When you begin to look after children, your life will change as will your responsibilities and routine. To maintain your crucial relationships, there should be a discussion about what this journey means to you. Having a great support network is vital, and your family and friends need to understand what fostering is all about in order to achieve that. This includes any other children that live in your home as well, as their life will be changing too. 

5. Embrace the Role

Foster carers get the most out of the role when they embrace it. This is not something you can do half-heartedly. You have to want to be a carer, and so many people out there have this motivation! Connect with who you are and your motivations, and staying on track will be a lot easier. 

Prospective carers in Glasgow should take the time to get to know what the role entails. It is an amazing thing to do for a child in need, and there are so many support lines for carers.