Preparing

 We see him go through great lengths and even incur injuries as he tries to learn how to skateboard.The John Lewis advert has swept the internet by storm. If you haven’t already watched it, take a look at the video.  Grab some tissues before you do! It shows a man preparing for the arrival of a foster child who likes skateboarding and it's heart-warming. 

 The ad focuses on this part of his preparation and shows a different aspect of fostering. It shows the great love and care and thought that foster carers put into preparing their hearts and their homes for the children they care for.
​As a community with foster carers amongst us, we can participate and support the preparation process. Indeed, it is our way of answering God’s call to care for vulnerable children. We may not all be in a space to foster, but we can certainly support those who do. Here are a couple of ways we can help in the preparation process:

1. Donating toys, cribs, and other practical things that a child and fostering family may need. This sort of help can come in all sorts of ways. As a church you can keep some sort of “community closet” that has some of the things that foster carers may need. Alternatively, you can share new needs in a newsletter, so that people are alerted on the needs that may arise.
2. Helping prepare the physical space. A new fostering family may need to prepare the room for a new placement. This could mean repainting, rearranging furniture or sorting clothes. If you’ve ever had to put together flat-pack furniture you know that an extra hand is definitely appreciated 😊
3. Making the church a welcome space for the children. It is important to ensure that we are ready to receive children who come with their foster carers to church. It can be overwhelming to be received by many enthusiastic adults, so balance needs to be sought to ensure the children feel welcome but not singled out. For more information on how to make the church a welcome space, check out our video.
4. Praying for the family and the child. The transition is a complicated one for everyone involved. The child might be anxious, expectant, angry, upset, or hopeful about coming to a new hope. Prayer is a powerful way of supporting the family and child through this transition. You can pray for the God to prepare the carers’ hearts and to equip them with all they need to care for the child. You can pray for peace and comfort for the child.

There are many more ways you can support a carer as they prepare to take in a child. The best way to know what to do is to simply ask. The very act of showing you care and want to help will be very meaningful to them. Support is a protective factor in fostering and can help increase the fostering experience for both children and carers. Let’s all do what we can to ensure that children in care have the very best experience while in care.