Days out and adventures with your foster children are a big part of being a foster carer. It is your job to enrich their lives and bring new experiences, so wherever that takes you, it’s important to be prepared. A day out with a foster child is much like accompanying a birth child, but there are a few different things to keep in mind. Here’s what you need to know.
Using Your Allowances
Every carer receives a fostering allowance, and this can absolutely be used for big trips and excursions! This will all be explained to you during training sessions before you start a placement, but this remuneration is there to support and enhance yours and the foster child’s lives. It all comes down to making sure you have budgeted for essential expenses first like clothes and food and seeing what’s left over for enrichment purposes.
There Will be Anxiety
Anxiety about new places is expected with any child, but especially with foster children. Because they have been through something traumatic (being removed from their home), they will naturally be more hypervigilant, which can sometimes manifest as anxiety. At times, anxiety plus excitement equals meltdown. However, you will have the skills to handle this and prepare your foster child for the day ahead, alongside being able to help them with any of the big emotions that may come up.
Plan Everything
One strong way to combat anxiety head on is to ensure there is a plan for everything. Every minute of the day can be accounted for if you make it happen, but you don’t need to take it that far. This plan should include where you’re going to eat, knowing if there are toilet facilities close by, what activities are going to happen, and what will be expected of you and the child. Make sure basic tasks like ticket purchasing are done before you get there. The key here is to do as much as possible before you get there so that when you arrive, all you have to do is concentrate on being a foster carer and having fun.
Communicate
Once you have this plan set in stone, it is time to communicate with your foster child. This will not only help with their anxiety, but it will also minimise any anxious feelings that you may be having. A good tip is to write everything down in an easy-to-read piece of paper for the foster child to hold on to. This will give them a point of reference, stop them from feeling like they have to ask ‘what are we doing next’ every ten minutes, and create a point of safety for them too. Put your phone number and name on top of the paper too for an extra safety tip!
Decide on a Meeting Point
While it doesn’t happen too often, taking a child on a day out can sometimes lead to them becoming lost. That is why you need a meeting point that you both agree in advance in case you become separated.
Days out with your foster child are highly rewarding, and they can be enjoyed by everyone if you take time to plan.
Disclosure: This is a featured post.