FOSTERING MYTHS

The Myths About Fostering

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Many people would love to become foster carers but believe wrongly that they wouldn’t be accepted. In reality the main requirements we ask for at application stage are that you are over the age of 21 and have a spare bedroom.

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Myth #1

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"I'm too old"​

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Legally there are no upper age limits on becoming a foster carer. Fostering does require a lot of energy, but providing you are fit and healthy there’s no reason you couldn’t do it. Older carers also often bring invaluable experience to the role.

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Myth #2

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"I'm a single male"

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Both women and men make great foster carers, so being a single male won’t prevent you from fostering. Many of our foster carers are men and they often bring something unique, such as offering a positive male role model for both male and female children.

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Myth #3

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"I can't afford to"

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Whilst fostering is an incredibly selfless thing to do, we believe in our carers being rewarded for the excellence they deliver. At Diverse Fostering we pay our carers a generous allowance which takes into account the number and nature of children in your care.

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Myth #4

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"I haven't had my own children"

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Having your own children can give you valuable experience for fostering but it is by no means essential. Our Skills to Foster training that you will undertake during assessment will give you lots of the skills required to be a foster carer. You may have really valuable transferrable skills which, with training, could make you ideal for some children.

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Myth #5

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"I'm LGBT"

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Sexuality has no bearing on a person’s ability to be a foster carer. Whatever your sexuality, you just need to be able to offer the warmth, care and stability needed for children and young people.