You’ve made the decision to open up your home to a foster child, and you’ve received that phone call to let you know that they are ready to come and stay. You may be feeling excited, nervous or a mixture of both. Your new foster child may be feeling apprehensive, too. Let’s have a look at some of the best ways that you can prepare your family and your home to make it a positive experience for everyone and to make your new resident feel welcome.
Finding out about the person
It’s really important that when a new foster child is coming to stay with you, you take the time to find out all about them. What are their likes and dislikes? Do they speak another language? What is their favourite food – or is there any food they really don’t like? Finding out these little snippets of information before they arrive can help you prepare and will help your family to find some common ground with your new resident. Stocking up on a few of their favourite foods will make them feel welcome.
Preparing the whole family
Fostering is a two-way process, and it’s really important that everyone who lives in your home – whether that be adults, your own children or any other foster children who currently live with you, are aware of what’s going to happen and what it’ll be like when your new foster child arrives.
You can help to prepare any other children in the house using the information you’ve already discovered about your new foster child. If they can find some things in common, such as favourite foods or activities they would like to do together, this is a great start for getting along.
Other children might have questions about how long the new foster child is going to stay with you, or where they lived before. It’s normal for them to be curious, so keep your answers as honest and factual as you can.
Preparing your home for the new arrival
It’s essential that you offer your new foster child a bedroom of their own, so they have a bit of private space to retreat to and relax in. Whether it’s a girl or a boy arriving to live with you, we’d usually recommend keeping the bedroom in a neutral colour scheme. It’s a good idea to make the room feel homely and cosy, giving them somewhere to relax with a book or some toys, depending on their age. This doesn’t have to be expensive, but some cushions or a bean bag can go a long way.
Those little essentials
Putting together a little essentials kit can be a really good idea, so that your foster child has everything that they might need, and you don’t have to make a last minute dash to the shops! Things like towels, toothpaste, sanitary protection and deodorant are some examples. Bear in mind that some foster children won’t have many possessions of their own and might come with very little in the way of luggage. It may be worthwhile getting some underwear, basic clothing, pyjamas and a little cuddly toy ready too, if you are able.
Get in touch with a member of our team to find out more about fostering!
Give us a call: 0203 757 0070
Email Us: enquiries@ascentfostering.com