FOSTERING

THE TRUTH ABOUT FOSTERING

BEING IN A SAME SEX COUPLE, BEING SINGLE OR NOT HAVING CHILDREN OF YOUR OWN MEANS YOU CAN’T FOSTER - RIGHT? WRONG! AVERY BOWSER, CHILDREN’S SERVICES MANAGER FOR ACTION FOR CHILDREN’S NI REGIONAL FOSTERING SERVICE, EXPLODES COMMON MYTHS AND DISCUSSES WHY FOSTERING IS NOT A ‘ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL’ ROLE.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, more children than ever are in need. But these aren’t just children from poverty-stricken countries. These children – who desperately need love and a safe place to call home - are from Northern Ireland. They are in your community, on your street or even next door.

Avery Bowser, who joined Action for Children in the role of Children’s Services Manager in the NI regional fostering service in 2014, has seen the pandemic worsen an already desperate situation. He explained: “The need for foster carers is very great in Northern Ireland at the moment but the numbers coming forward have been too small.”

Whilst many people have the space and time in their lives – and hearts – to foster, they are put off by myths which make them believe their lifestyle or circumstances are a barrier to them being accepted. Avery said: “One of the most common myths we encounter is that your sexual orientation can impact your eligibility to foster. Others include that you need to already be a parent, or that you can’t be single, or in full time work or have pets. People often think you need to be a certain age or own your own home. These are all simply not true. As long as you are over 21, have a spare room and the motivation to become a foster carer, we can consider your application.”

Whilst the stresses of the pandemic have pushed more families to breaking point, fostering remains a stable solution. It helps young people recognise the value of expanding relationships, establishing healthy attachment, and developing an understanding of trauma, whilst providing unrivalled support for carers. Avery said: “At Action for Children we provide foster families that have the warmth and stability that enable children to cope with the changes that life brings them. We do that by recruiting ordinary people, from all walks of life, who do something extraordinary – become a foster carer.” Action for Children prides itself on the number of stable placements it supports. This is the result of a recruitment process that takes the time to get to know the carers. This directly aids the matching process. Matching is important because every child has different needs. To help find a home where every child can flourish, Action for Children need the help of all kinds of foster carers. Avery explained: “Our aim is simply to create families for children. As we know, families come in all different shapes and sizes. There is no one-size-fits-all foster carer. We need carers from all walks of life, of all ages and from different backgrounds.”

When joining the Action for Children family, foster parents will be supported every step of the way. As well as being assigned a dedicated fostering social worker, they will get to know the whole service team, from administrative staff to support staff. They also have access to a 24/7 helpline and comprehensive training to ensure they are equipped with all the skills they need. The ‘family’ ethos of the NI fostering service is strengthened by its ‘compactness’. Avery said: “We get to know the children and their carers as individuals; knowing who the families are makes a real difference to the support we can offer them.”

Action for Children also run regular support groups for carers and organises family outings. These allow foster carers, who are all doing the same amazing thing, a space and opportunity to interact with others who know what they are going through. Avery said: “One of the things we are most looking forward to when lockdown restrictions lift is resuming our face to face outings with our foster families. These help to reaffirm that we are all part of one bigger family.”

Fostering with Action for Children is very flexible. Whether you have the ability to welcome a child into your home on a full-time basis or for planned short break care, your time and dedication will be instrumental in helping make a difference to that child’s life.

For more information on Action for Children contact the friendly fostering team on 028 9046 0500 or email fostercareni@actionforchildren.org.uk