Ways in which fostering benefits your own children

1. Develop strong values

When you decide to foster it provides an amazing opportunity for your children to grow and develop as young people. Fostering teaches children about empathy, understanding others and the value of coming together as a community. By welcoming a child into your home you become a fantastic role model by showing your child the value of helping others— in fact, many children of foster carers go on to become foster carers themselves!

2. Build strong relationships

Encouraging companionship between your birth child and your foster child can be hugely beneficial for both children as they learn new things as they play and explore together. Fostering also introduces children to new family dynamics, as they may be able to take on the role of an older sibling for the first time or can look up to an older foster sibling.

The memories your children make with their foster siblings can last a life time, and the deep bonds they may create can stay with them throughout their lives. Whether the children in your home develop a close friendship or grow to see one another as family, the bonds which they forge in your family home could bring joy to their lives for many years to come.

3. Learn new skills

When your family fosters everyone in the family will learn a variety of new skills, whether that be through our training sessions for foster carers or the natural learning opportunities which arise for children as your family adapts to the fostering lifestyle. As your family experiences the triumphs and challenges of foster care, you may see the children in your home develop their skills is areas such as:

• Learning to share
• Working as a team
• Communicating their needs
• Resolving disputes
• Understanding their own boundaries
• Respecting the boundaries of others

These skills can help children in every area of their life, and will help them to grow into well-rounded adults.

4. Diversify life experiences

Fostering is a family experience which your children will remember for a lifetime. They’ll get to meet people from all different backgrounds, with a range of life experiences, and will gain a better understanding of the world around them. Fostering encourages children to recognise the differences and similarities between themselves and others, normalises difference and helps them to celebrate diversity in all of its forms.

5. Family events and support

When you join FCA Scotland you’ll have the wonderful opportunity to make lots of new friends, and this opportunity extends to your children, too. We encourage all of our families to join us for our family fun days, where children can make new friends with children in care and other kids whose families foster. Making new friends is always a fantastic opportunity for children, and meeting new people who share and understand their experiences of fostering can be especially rewarding.

At FCA Scotland we also offer special support for birth children who foster, including support from your dedicated social worker, special activities exclusively for birth children and the opportunity for older children to take part in support groups and training.