Role of Foster Parents in Child Development

Who are Foster Parents?

Foster parents are individuals and families who provide temporary care to needy children. They support the children who are unable to live with their biological parents due to abuse, neglect and other family crises. They come from diverse backgrounds, ages and professions. However, they are united by their desire and wish to make a difference in the lives of neglected children. 

What is the Role of Foster Parents ?

As a carer, foster parents are responsible for providing a family to a neglected child or children. This includes all the expectations that a child anticipates from his parents such as providing food, safety, care and guidance. The role of foster parents also includes a dedication of the parents to make the future of the child better by showing their love and emotional support. 

Foster parents have many responsibilities towards a child. Let us discuss some of the roles of such parents here. 

1. Providing a Shelter

   Many children may not have a stable family life. Such children might come from a harsh background where they have faced abuse, neglect and addiction. Therefore, security and stability become essential for them in order to rehabilitate their life. It is the responsibility of foster parents to provide a child with a place of his desires where he can find himself safe and secure from the abuses and addiction he has faced in the outside world. The foster parents provide a shelter which can be called a home. This is more than just a shelter over the heads of such children. It is a place where they are being taken care of and they live a happy and comfortable life. 

2. Love and Support

   A child who has been displaced or neglected for his own place can feel very traumatised. He may not be able to overcome such an extreme disaster. They feel like living in a surrounding where they don’t know the people. This further creates a foreign environment for such children. In such circumstances, getting love and support from a reliable or trustworthy adult becomes invaluable for such children. In addition, such love and support become very important assets for them. It helps them to settle and then grow and mature. Therefore, foster parents must not hesitate to provide essential love and support to such children. 

3. Child’s Education

   The foster parents are responsible for providing education to the child if he is of such age. They encourage the child to attend the school for his growth and development. Education plays an important role in the development of a child. It is essential for the foster parents to take care of the education of the child. In addition, the foster parents must try to at least manage the elementary education of such a child. This can be done by approaching the school which offers free education to the poor children from class pre-nursery to class 8th. The foster parents must take an active interest in providing education to the child. 

4. Child’s Health Requirement

   It is the responsibility of foster parents to take care of the medical needs of children whenever they need it. In addition, they must ensure of having adequate transport to get to the hospital and get an appointment with the doctor. A child who has been abused by his parents or neglected by someone may have disabilities which require medical attention. Hence, the foster parents must take care of such responsibilities.

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Wrapping Up

Foster parents are the lifeline for children in need. They show selfless love to such children. They help them in completing their education. In addition, they provide them with a roof which they can look at as a home. They are temporary parents who take care of the needs of a child. Many a time, the foster parents act as mentors and become role models for the children. They heal their pain and provide them relief. This helps them create an emotional and strong bond with the children. Foster parents are extraordinary individuals who embody selfishness and love.