For children in foster care, it’s all about what you can do for them. They face many challenges that require patience and caring. BCFS Health & Human Services CSD is a nonprofit organization that offers a range of services for young people in or from foster care, including emergency funds, counseling, and other services that improve the odds of success in the foster care system for both parents and children.
It’s not always easy to know what will happen when someone takes on the foster parent role. It can be hard because children live in so many different places and their situations change all too quickly. Foster parents need patience and empathy, even when they’re facing a combative and challenging foster child. They require a range of skills that enable them to offer care and emotional support to foster kids.
Another common foster parent challenge seen frequently by staff members at BCFS Health and Human Services CSD is managing all the related rules and regulations. Each state follows different foster parent rules, which can include guidelines for storing medication in the home or restricting certain types of travel. Many states prohibit foster children from sleeping over at someone’s home and from traveling out of state. Some regulations require background checks before the foster parent takes the child to a friend or relative’s house.
As a foster parent, you need to be flexible and present for all the appointments. Your schedule may change depending on what kind of special needs your child has which will require them to see doctors and other professionals. Some children face the trauma of past neglect, so their physical health and mental health often require extensive attention. Parents who want to foster children should consider if their current personal and professional obligations will allow them the flexibility, they need to meet the child’s needs.
