Advice to Foster Carers Listen 4 a change!

Real experiences shared and advice given by young people to foster carers.

Fostering is not easy work. Most young people in care have had difficult upbringings in life and may find it difficult to be in a friendly and happy environment. Being mature and understanding and not giving up is vital. Having a sense of humour and being happy, having happy colours in the home environment makes living seem brighter.

There may be a honeymoon period lasting several weeks in which you will have a brilliant time. And then it starts with little things like pinching and being sarcastic, when you punish the young person. they retaliate. Remember to 'treat' the young person. when they are good and cut down on the treats slowly and they will automatically be good, not just punish them all the time.

Treat the young person like your own family, only bring up things about their family that they want to bring up. BILLY

Me and my little brother were going to a foster carer and we were split up. I ended up with my aunty and my cousins in Worksop. I didn't like it because my brother wasn't with me. Me and my little brother are very close. My brother was put with our stepdad and our stepdad's kids. I think that foster carers should take in brothers and sisters and not split them up. I hope this will never happen again because the experience I had was upsetting and I would never ever put anyone in this position. CHANTELLE