Why don't young people foster?

[Vineling]

We've been having a discussion in the office today, (I recruit foster carers as my day job) about why it's people who are aged 50 plus who in the main foster. Those who teenagers have flown the nest and gone off to Uni. So my question is why don't younger people consider fostering? instead of perhaps going back to work after a baby or as a career choice? and what can we do to encourage them to consider it? We need people of all ages over 21 with a spare bedroom but it's the younger ones we struggle to reach and encourage to foster.

I would love to foster but my dh doesn’t want to

Lack of home security, lack of spare room. Most young people are still getting on the property ladder. Finances are tight nowadays with CIL. The "pay" for fostering Vs the commitment and experience needed is too low. Most people need 2x full time wages to live. The committment to appointments, meetings, child is not compatible with FT work.

Impact on other biological DC, children who require fostering come with a whole host of needs and trauma. Some have some very unsavoury family members actively looking for them. This will always impact the other DC in the home. If they have family looking for them it exposes your family to safety issues. I've worked with LAC in schools and many of them have very serious mental health issues, attachment issues and serious trauma that will take years and years of counseling and treatment to unpick. They are also very very vulnerable to grooming, gang recruitment, abuse of substances and exploitation. With the woeful state of services currently finding support for a young person who is experiencing any of the above is very difficult.

The woeful state of support services such as CAHMS, respite, post fostering support, youth services, schools ect.