Why do children and young people need Foster Care?

Children and young people need foster placements for all sorts of reasons.  Sometimes they may need a short stay away from home for work to be done with their family so they can return later.  In other cases families may not be able to care for them and a longer term alternative is needed.  Children may already have been in other foster care or residential placements and had difficult experiences.  In all cases they will have had disturbance and uncertainty in their lives and their behaviour will reflect this.  Our carers may work with youngsters who have been neglected or abused and who find it hard to trust.  Sometimes they find it difficult to get on with other children in the household and this is something you should be aware of if you have other children still living at home.   Building up relationships and starting to make progress takes time but we have seen some really positive results – and we know it’s worth it !

Our carers bring a great range of life and / or work experience to their role  as well as their personal qualities of genuine caring, commitment and the determination to make a real difference for the children and young people in their care.

The following comments demonstrate that, in many cases – even if not all circumstances, they are certainly getting something right ! :

“.. I would also like to say don’t lose (carers) they are the best foster carers there is. I should know, I have been to nearly thirty of them”
(Young person aged 16 moving on)

“I believe (Carer) to be a very high quality foster carer. They are few and far between but she shines out as one of the best. It has been a pleasure working with (Carer) and SWIIS.  Thank you for all your hard work with (Young Person)”.
(Local Authority social worker)

“I’ve got a whole new family here and a new life at home and at school…”
(Young person aged 12)

“I was living in a world of crime and hate.  I was so lonely the only way I would stop feeling it is to go out and do crimes.  I didn’t care what happened to me because my life wasn’t worth living but I’m glad I didn’t have the bottle to end it…. I would never of thought you could get so happy. I love life now and it is worth living for” 
(Young person aged 15)

“.. they are interested in everything I do or don’t do.  We talk about sex, drugs or anything I want to discuss, nothing gets shussed away..”
(Young person)

“..the positive change in  (her) presentation, behaviour and  emotional well-being since she was placed with  (the carers)  has been significant and has demonstrated that with competent ,confident and skilled carers, (8 year old) is able to live within a family”
(Local Authority social worker)

Foster placements can be for children and young people of all ages.  They can last for a few days, a few weeks, several months or a number of years - depending on the needs of the child and the plans for them.  Carers choose which kind of placements fit best with their family and skills.