Anyone who is considering whether they can or cannot take on the responsibilities of caring for a disabled child in care is a responsible adult. It’s a sign that you take your responsibilities seriously, which is a remarkable quality for any active or future foster carer to possess. In this post, we will briefly go over the subject and provide you with both information and the resources you may need to make an informed decision.
There May Not be Any Special Requirements
If you search for the information online, the results might confuse you into either thinking that you don’t qualify for the role or convincing you that no one needs any special qualifications to become a foster care provider for disabled or special needs children. The truth is that it’s never that simple. A lot of it depends on the concerned children and their specific special needs.
If a child in care is not physically, psychologically, or cognitively impaired to any significant degree, then he/she does not need to be cared for exclusively by care providers with special needs training and experience. You will be attending training sessions for learning what you must do to take care of the disabled child in the best way possible. Some experience and more training will be necessary is the special needs of a child are more severe.
Different Local Authorities and Fostering Agencies May Have Different Requirements
All training and education programs will be arranged for by the local authority or the fostering agency you are registered with. They will also be the ones to finally decide on what can be considered necessary qualifications to take care of a special needs foster child. Note that local authorities and the independent foster care agencies have a lot of freedom while making these rules.
For example, if you live in Nottingham, you should be looking for more information on special needs fostering in Nottingham. They will not always be the same as those followed by another LA or IFA in some other part of the country. You can also start taking classes on how to care for special needs children, while working with regular foster children. It will help you prepare in advance, adding more skills to your repertoire as a foster carer.
There are Exceptions
The definition of terms such as disability and special needs are more varied and complex than most of us realise. This is why it is possible for a foster care provider without any special qualifications or prior experience to take care of some children with mild to moderate special needs. They will still need to be trained of course, but it’s not anything that a good foster carer would not be able to manage.
However, the same cannot be said about every disabled child in care. Children with more serious cognitive, physical, and/or psychological impairments will need foster carers who have a background and experience in special needs care. Even they may need case-specific training at times to become more acquainted with the special needs of the children that they are about to take under their wing. Two good examples of specialist fostering would be specialist therapeutic fostering and respite fostering.
If you are considering opening your home to a child with additional needs, make sure you fully understand the requirements.
