The gift of fostering
Being a teenager is a difficult time for anyone, being a teenager in foster care brings more challenges, and with Christmas approaching a special kind of person is being looked for to help bring some festive cheer to a teenager’s life.
Warwickshire County Council’s Fostering Service is for the first time launching a Christmas campaign to find foster carers willing to help teenagers.
Sylvia Vickers from the Warwickshire Fostering Service said: “Some teenagers will have found themselves in trouble and some will have lived through unhappy experiences at home.
“It’s certainly not easy, a foster carer taking on a teenager will have to cope with mood swings and angry outbursts. You’ll need to be patient and reillient to get past that tough exterior.
“But the rewards can be immense. We have many carers who only work with teenagers as it can be so rewarding.”
One such foster carer, who asked not to be named to protect the young people she works with, was keen to highlight why she welcomes the teenagers into her home.
She said: “You have to work with teenagers very differently to younger children. You have to accept that very often you will have a stroppy teenager in the house.
“Having said that, I only work with teenagers, it’s the most rewarding for me. They might have a few issues, but we work through them.
“It’s about working with the teenager in what is really their last chance. It’s about giving them every opportunity either in education or to find employment.
“The main things I would advise anyone to be is to be considerate, and to set bounderies. These are the most important things.If you can implement boundaries and be consistent, then you’ll get along and be just fine.”
Depending on the needs of the children, foster care placements can range from just one weekend a month to others that last for many years. As a result, the county council’s fostering service believes that there are many people with the potential to perform this worthwhile and vital role.
In Warwickshire, carers currently provide homes for more than 500 youngsters but the fostering team is looking for more people with the qualities required.
Full training and support is given to carers, who are matched to one of the six different schemes, depending on what suits them best. Carers are paid an allowance that reflects the real cost of looking after a child.
If you are interested in finding out more contact Sylvia Vickers on 0800 4081556 or visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fostering.