Why do children need foster care?

There are many reasons why a child may need to live with Foster Carers. Ultimately, it is when they are unable to live with their parents or other family members. This is usually because there is a risk of harm or further harm to the child. This is intended to be short term until changes can be made to make home safe again, or until more permanent options are considered such as adoption or living with a safe alternative family member.

A common belief is that children need Foster Care because their parents have passed or are in hospital, likely because this is what the media tends to show. This does happen, but is much less common as a need for Foster Care in the UK.

The types of harm that Children may be exposed to, or at risk of include:

• Emotional Abuse

• Physical Abuse

• Sexual Abuse

• Neglect

• Domestic Abuse

• Female Genital Mutilation

• Exploitation

This abuse can take place in the home, online or in the community, and there are many subcategories of abuse that highlight specific risks of harm. To learn more about these, see the NSPCC explanations of the types of abuse.

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/

Additional reasons for needing care:

• Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC)

• Abandonment

• Parental illness

• Parental incarceration

Shared Care: All children in the UK with a disability has the right to support from a Social Worker, an assessment would consider whether regular stays with an assessed 'Shared Care' Foster Carer could support the family and maintain parental resilience.

It is important to consider that when a child comes into Foster Care we don't always know the types of abuse they have experienced, often the safety and security from a loving Foster home can support the child to process and disclose the harm they have experienced.