Fostering a Baby

Fostering a baby is a type of fostering for a young child between the age of 0-2, which happens when the baby’s parents or caregivers are not able to look after them at a particular point in time.

The aim of fostering a baby is to ensure a child is looked after until they can either return home to their parents or extended family members, move into long term fostering, or onto adoption.

Fostering a baby can be extremely demanding especially when the baby first comes to stay with you as they will be unsettled but you will also be responsible for their day to day care and helping them to reach their developmental milestones.

What does a foster baby need?

It’s possible that a baby’s birth parents could have placed the child into care voluntarily, however it’s also possible that the baby could have been taken away from their birth parents.

Therefore, each baby that comes into care will have different needs. Some of our foster babies have needed additional support due to development delay or attachment issues. Some others have needed additional medical care, for issues such as addiction withdrawal.

As a foster carer for a baby, it’s likely you’ll be called upon at short notice. Babies that come into care often need a safe place, quickly, at a home that will give them a high level of care and attention.

From then, they’ll need stimulating early to kick-start the education process. They will start to pick up on the language you use and the actions you take, even from an extremely early age.

You need to be prepared to keep the baby in your room until the age of 6-months, so you’re on hand and available to give them the care they need. As soon as the child reaches the age of 2, they must have their own bedroom.

The hardest thing about fostering a baby is giving them up once their time has come to be adopted or the baby is going back to their birth parents or extended family members.

It’s normal for this to be extremely difficult and we’ll support you when the time comes, however, you need to form a strong attachment to the baby as its an important part of their development and it also gives them is the care they deserve, making saying goodbye very difficult.

What you get out of fostering a baby

Fostering a baby is extremely rewarding because the first few years of a baby’s life is vitally important. Knowing that you made a big difference to a young life during such a testing time is very fulfilling.

If you already have experience caring for a baby, then that puts you in an excellent position to become a foster carer for a baby but it’s not essential.

You’ll need good communication skills to work with the birth parents and other family members of the baby too, which will naturally grow and develop from your experience of fostering a baby. You may also need to host meetings with prospective adoptive parents for the baby.

When you foster a baby, you’ll never be on your own as a foster for Staffordshire foster carer. We have training and support available to guide you through the process, and ensure that you can give the best care possible to your foster baby.

Enquire with Foster for Staffordshire today if you think fostering a baby could be for you.

Are foster carers for babies paid?

Yes, foster carers for babies are paid. As foster carers for babies are usually more experienced foster carers, it’s likely that you’ll have access to a higher grade of pay.

You can discover more about foster carers pay on our foster carers pay information page.

Can I foster a baby?

Yes! There’s no ‘typical’ foster carer and all sorts of people become great foster carers.

We accept people from all walks of life to become Foster for Staffordshire foster carers.

  • You could be a parent, but you don’t have to be.
  • There are no age barriers.
  • You could be from any ethnic or religious background.
  • You could be married, single, in a civil partnership or living in a settled relationship.
  • You can be working or not working.
  • Experience fostering will likely be required to foster a baby.

As long as you’re committed to helping a child to realise their potential, you could be what we are looking for and we would love to hear from you.

Ready to take the next step or looking for more information about fostering a baby?

Enquire online now or call 0800 169 206 today and we’ll help answer your questions about fostering a baby and fostering.

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