How can a ‘Childless’ woman foster?

[ArtyAunt]

Has anyone here been a FC without having had any children? I’m a childless 40 something woman who wants to help kids feel safe. Thanks. ArtyAunt

I work alongside foster carers, and this would not be a barrier at all.

As long as you have a spare room and meet all the training needs, can provide a safe loving home for a child you would be approved, with having your own child

A friend has done this for several years - she does respite and emergency care

That's the point, to a certain extent. That you get to love and care for children. People who do it properly, with care and serious for making a difference are in great demand.

Surely a ‘childless’ person would be the perfect candidate, they can give all their focus and attention to the child they foster.

A natural mother is childless till she has children .... but she manages. Why should a fostering situation be any different?

go for it

I foster and know foster carers who don't have birth children it's not a barrier to becoming a foster carer.

Thank you, I was thinking I do some volunteering to improve skills?

Very good point! I guess I’m worried people who’ve had children will view me as clueless.

No, because a lot of us are clueless too!

I'd say a large proportion of foster parents either have no bio kids or they're grown adults who moved out a long time ago.
You should definitely go for it.

I wasn’t joking about cluelessness. People learn in new situations of every sort as they go along, including having biological children. It’s healthy not to think you already know, because every child is different and you face new challenges with each.

I’ve known lots of single women who foster. It’s actually a real benefit for some kids who need a quiet and calmer home.

It's a good idea to get some volunteering experience , think about any baby sitting you've done any friends children or neices or nephews youve spent time with or you can engineer time with.
Also draw on your own experience of being a child. Read up about therapeutic parenting,impact of trauma. What network of support will you have? As a positive you won't have preconceived ideas based on your own childrens development, you won't be in a position of needing to share your time and attention or worry about the impact on your own children. Contact the local authority or an agency and talk it through.

In my opinion as a foster carer for several decades, who also adopted children (now adult) I do think that parenting your birth child can be quite a different experience from parenting a foster child. Therefore I often think childless foster carers are ideal because they do not come with pre-conceived ideas on how to parent. Of course many foster carers who have had children can adapt to the differences and be excellent, but some do not.