Making the decision to become a foster parent and open your home to children in need is a truly wonderful step to take. Foster parents provide a loving and safe home for children who have had an uncertain or traumatic start in life. They might foster children for a short time, or it could lead to permanent adoption, but either way, they have the opportunity to make a big difference in their lives. Of course, fostering children is not without its emotional challenges, and some children in your care may exhibit behavior that requires additional support.
Here are some common issues to look out for when fostering children in your home.
Poor personal hygiene
Foster children may have had inconsistent or absent parental influences who would usually have taught them about personal hygiene. This may become more noticeable as they reach their teenage years.
Poor social skills and/or immaturity
Some foster children struggle to interact with their peers or will display immature behavior that gets them into trouble at school or leads to them being ostracised. Whether fostering in Suffolk or another region, you may want to introduce them to out-of-school clubs or sports teams with children of a similar age so they can develop appropriate social skills for their age.
Difficulty with authority figures
If a child feels powerless over their own lives and/or that the adults have let them down, they may act out or refuse to listen to authority figures. It may begin with resistance to household or school rules, and if not addressed, could lead to problems with more serious authority figures like police officers.
Cruelty to others
Children and young people who have been treated badly or have experienced abuse may believe that being cruel to others is normal or will give them power. Look out for cruelty to other children or animals as this behavior needs addressing as soon as possible to prevent it from becoming serious.
Self-destructive behaviour
Some foster children can struggle with low self-esteem and may feel that they are not valued. This can manifest in self-destructive and/or attention-seeking behavior like lying, running away, breaking the law, or even suicide attempts.
Difficulty forming healthy relationships
When a child has lost or feels rejected by the adults in their life, they may avoid forming deep connections to minimize future pain or avoid rejection. They may be passive, avoid making friends, appear disconnected in social situations, and b reluctant to make plans too far in the future.
Separation anxiety
Children who have been neglected or abandoned may feel anxiety around being on their own and may struggle to trust that the adults looking after them will be there when they need them. This might develop into separation anxiety.
Psychosomatic issues
In some cases, mental health issues or emotional turmoil can manifest as physical illness or symptoms. This is known as psychosomatic issues and includes nightmares, digestive problems, abdominal pain, headaches, fatigue, pain in the body, or difficulty breathing.
