Fostering teenagers

Nationally, we are in desperate need of more foster carers to foster older children and teenagers. Within Walsall, it is often difficult to find foster homes for children over the age of 10.

There is often stigma attached to fostering teenagers. The commonly-held belief is that teenagers in care are more challenging and exhibit difficult behaviour.

Of course, as with all teenagers, there will be some challenges. However, we believe the positive impact you can have on these young people’s lives outweigh this considerably.

Things to consider when fostering older children

There are some things to consider when deciding whether fostering older children would be right for you.

For example, if you have your own children, we would often advise you foster children younger than their ages.

With older children, you will also need to consider school arrangements. We are unlikely to move children out of their current schools when they come into care as for some, this may be the only stability they have in their lives and as such we would need you to be able to transport children to and from different schools in Walsall.

Fostering teenagers may be especially suitably for you if you have experience working with children or young people as a teacher, nurse, youth worker, etc. However, if you don’t have this experience, don’t worry, get in touch and we can discuss this in more detail.

Our experienced team of social workers will work alongside you to figure out exactly where you strengths and weaknesses lie so we can ensure you are fostering the most suitable age range for you.