How to create a happy home environment

Creating a happy home environment is one of the most important roles of being a foster parent. There are many qualities that a good foster parent should possess. A lot of skill, emotion and patience are required to be able to make a positive change in a foster child’s life. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the ways you can prepare your home and mentality, to build an area where a foster child will feel safe and comfortable.

build a family bond

Working to build a family bond is one of the most important, as well as rewarding parts of being a foster parent. There are many things to keep in mind when welcoming a foster child into your family. It’s very important to treat a foster child as a family member, to help them feel welcome and safe in your home. It’s very important for a child to feel comfortable with the people in their life because when they need support, having somebody there they can trust will help them emotionally.

Becoming familiar with a foster child’s personality, hobbies and interests can be a great way to build trust. By paying attention to, or participating in/organising activities that the child is interested in, you will build a sense of belonging and show the child you care.

Sometimes, all a foster child needs is somebody to talk to – it may take some time for a child to be well adjusted to their foster family, be prepared for a foster child to become comfortable with their foster siblings before or after you. 

be a good role model

One of your many roles as a foster parent is to function as a good role model for your foster child as it is integral to building trust. It can be very difficult for foster children to integrate into a new environment, so being welcoming and caring can help a child integrate and feel comfortable faster.

Being a foster parent requires all the same skills as a biological parent and more. Here at Nexus Fostering, we will work with you to make the job easier in any way possible. We host a wide range of training courses and events for you to learn more about being a foster parent and ask our team any specific questions you need to be answered. To find out more about it on our events page (https://www.nexusfostering.co.uk/events/)

provide a sense of stability

It is very important to remember that during a child’s time in the foster system, they may have travelled between different locations and spent time with many different people. Providing a child with a sense of stability will greatly impact them.
You can help build a sense of stability by;

• Providing emotional support where necessary
• Encouraging social behaviour
• Introducing a reliable daily schedule