Foster Teenagers - They Deserve Families Too
We are always looking for new foster carers. We particularly need Foster Carers who are open to fostering any age, particularly those who can foster teenagers.
Teenagers often have the stigma that they come with problems and that younger children don't. This is not always the case and it is time, we dispelled this myth.
Teenagers are like all children. They just need a caring, loving and stable home.
Part of fostering teens is to give them the stability they need. Stability is key in helping young people and giving them a good base to work from. This can be done in a number of ways but partly by trying to ensure they get long term placements. In addition, it is important to keep them close to friends and family where possible.
The Guardian Article
The Guardian wrote an article earlier in the year about the need for foster carers for teens. The article stated that finding foster carers for teens is hard. Teenagers who are placed often end up living with foster carers who live away from their family, friends and school. Sometimes they are even separated from siblings. Therefore adding pressure to a placement which can result in a breakdown. This, in turn, will create disruption and instability for the young person.
Read the whole article here.
What can we do to help?
The main part is to recruit more foster carers. Ensuring that we have carers to cover all areas, placements, and regions in the country. Working with teens and trying to shine a light on what it's really like to foster teenagers is the best thing we can do.
In addition, we can also ensure the carers we have have the training and knowledge to deal with teenagers. The misconception of teenagers can be changed by working with teenagers but we do need to ensure that foster carers have the skills needed.
After all, teenagers deserve a home too.
