Bringing a foster child into your home can sometimes cause strife.
Foster parents open up their homes for children in need who've ended up in the foster care system for a wide range of reasons, including criminal activities by their parents, parents who pass away, or other family strife leading to them being taken from their homes. There are many pros and cons to consider before opening up your home to foster children.
Pro: Helping Others
Foster parenting is a way to help others. Taking care of these "homeless" children can help families get back on their feet, and it also provides children with their basic needs, as well as something they may never have had before: a stable environment. Children in the foster care system often need special care because they've experienced instability and perhaps even trauma. Foster parents can help children work through problems they might have in their previous home environment.
Pro: Bonding with Children
Bonding with the foster children often occurs after families bring them into their home, with foster parents becoming attached to their foster children over time. The emotional bond that occurs between foster children and foster families can last a lifetime, and be beneficial for everyone involved.
Con: Separation Issues
While there are some children who remain in the foster care system until they reach 18, Foster Care Adoption points out that nearly 50% of children in foster care are eventually reunited with their families. This can result in sadness on the part of the foster family due to being separated from children with whom they've bonded. Depending on the state, location and the case worker for the foster child, foster parents might or might not be adequately prepared for the separation.
Con: Strain on Family
Bringing a foster child into your home can result in a strain on your family that can manifest in both emotional strains, due to stress of raising a possibly troubled child and dealing with behavioral problems, and financial strain, if you find yourself having to spend a lot over the compensation provided to adequately take care of the child's needs. Additionally, there's potential for problems in families with children. Depending on the age of the foster parent's children, they may have rivalries or feel ignored or jealous of the attention given to the foster child.
Pro and Con: Money
Families who open their homes for foster children are given some money for the care of the children, but money is both a pro and a con. It's a pro because you receive some money for bringing a child into your home, but it's a con since the funds usually don't cover the cost of caring for the child. Money shouldn't be the main consideration or reason for bringing a foster child into the home.
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