Are You Better Suited To Short-Term Fostering Or Long-Term Fostering?

16 January 2024

If you are considering becoming a foster carer, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is whether short-term or long-term fostering better suits your situation and preferences. Both short and long-term fostering play vital roles for children in need but require different levels of commitment and have different rewards and challenges.

This article will explore the key differences to help you determine which option may be the better fit for you.

Providing Immediate Support with Short-term Fostering

Short-term fostering, also referred to as emergency or respite fostering, involves temporarily caring for a child or sibling group for anywhere from one night up to two years.

Reasons children may need short-term care include:

Their regular foster home is not available for a period
A permanent placement option is being sought for the child by the fostering agency
The child’s home situation is unsafe, and care is urgently needed while next steps are determined

As a short-term carer, you would provide stability, comfort and reassurance while the child’s longer-term placement is finalized. It can be extremely rewarding to know you are providing vital immediate support at a time of uncertainty and crisis. However, saying goodbye can also be emotionally difficult.

Short-term fostering also requires high flexibility as placements may be made urgently. It suits those whose work and personal life enable them to adapt plans at short notice when placements come up.

Providing a Consistent Loving Home with Long-term Fostering

Those who become long-term foster carers take on more responsibility for consistency and continuity in the child’s development.

Reasons a child may need long-term care include:

Court orders preventing them from safely returning to their birth family
Their parents agree that fostering is best for the child’s stability
Efforts towards adoption or placement with relatives are being explored

As a long-term carer, you support the child to feel safe, secure, and cared for despite the uncertainty around where they will ultimately live as an adult. You attend school events, and medical appointments and participate in hobbies alongside them.

The aim is to reduce the amount of change and upheaval the child must cope with. This care helps them develop securely. Saying goodbye when an adoptive family or relatives are found can be extremely difficult emotionally. However, some long-term foster carers maintain contact which eases the transition.

Assessing Your Suitability

When weighing up short versus long-term fostering, reflect honestly on questions such as:

Could you grow attached to a child knowing care would not be permanent?
Would you feel comfortable looking after children with little advance notice?
Do you have space in your life for extensive long-term commitments?
How might foster impact others in your household?

Seeking guidance from fostering agencies on what each role involves day-to-day is crucial. Be open about any apprehensions you may have too. Exploring the pros and cons in an honest, self-reflective way empowers you to know which option is the best match.

Whilst all foster care has emotional highs and lows, understanding what you feel able to manage realistically is key to being the support these children truly need.

Reflecting on whether emergency or routine care suits your situation better clarifies if short or long-term fostering is your calling. Most importantly, follow your instincts as you consider this life-changing, highly commendable commitment.

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Nabamita Sinha

Nabamita Sinha loves to write about lifestyle and pop-culture. In her free time she loves to watch movies and TV series and experiment with food. Her favourite niche topics are fashion, lifestyle, travel and gossip content. Her style of writing is creative and quirky.

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Mobile Storage – 5 Steps for Packing Your Belongings Safely

Shifting to a new house or relocating to a new place can be exciting. However, the move can be equally challenging considering the amount of work that comes associated with packing your belongings. Even with the comfort of a portable storage unit that carefully transports your household stuff, you will have to plan how you will be packing things. Forgetting stuff is pretty common, but a proactive approach in packing your belongings can help save you from numerous troubles. To ease relocating for you, here is a dive into some easy-to-follow tips that can help you pack your mobile storage unit. 1. Craft a plan: Unfortunately, packing involves much more than gathering and boxing up all of your belongings in any manner that suits you. For instance, all the clothing items go together. You can’t jumble clothing items with your shoe collection and add a layer of stuffed toys over it. You will need to make a rough outline of what you need to do. Start with deciding which items you want to transport to your targeted destination. Sift through your belongings and check out what you plan to donate. Once you have separated the items to move from the items to donate or give away, you can start bundling different categories of household items together. 2. Get the packing material: Your belongings can easily get damaged during transportation. To prevent that, it’s best to load your cart with packing material. Some of the packing essentials that you will need to include quality boxes in various sizes, bungee cords, plastic containers, stretch wrap, bubble wrap, moving bands, appliance wraps, and more. Blankets and pillows can also help safeguard your belongings. You will need a permanent marker too because labeling packed boxes can help you keep track of your belongings. What’s more, you will need to rent a mobile storage unit for transporting your stuff. 3. Rent a suitable mobile storage unit: Remember that portable storage containers come in multiple sizes. So, you will have to research the size that you need as per the items that you want to move. To give you an example, ALTA Storage Edmonton, offers containers that are 16 feet in length and 8 feet tall by 7 ½ feet width. It’s best to discuss your storage needs with the company though, so it can make recommendations regarding the size of the container that you will need. 4. Prepare your belongings for moving: When packing your stuff, be mindful about using all the space available to you. Pack boxes to their optimal capacity, ensuring that the top and sides of the boxes neither cave in nor bulge out when closed. If there are still small pockets of space left, then fill them up with packing paper. Seal the bottom of the boxes with tape. Moreover, put the heavy items in small boxes for easy lifting. On the flip side, pack the lightweight items in large boxes. Additionally, use bubble wraps to pack mirrors and pictures. Similarly, cover your mattresses with mattress covers to prevent damage. Use plastic wrap to pack and protect soft furniture. Don’t forget to tie electrical cords to prevent tripping. Take particular care of your electronics when packing them. Bubble wrap appliances and place them in different boxes. 5. Load your stuff into the portable storage container: During your packing process, prepare an inventory of all the items, writing out what goes where. While labeling boxes is already a useful move, an inventory will help you keep tabs on your belongings in case you are shifting items in two different containers. When you get to loading your packed belonging into the container, use all the available space from top to bottom and side to side as well. Don’t load all heavy items in one spot. Instead, distribute the weight of heavy and lightweight items throughout the mobile unit. At the same time, place the heavy items at the bottom and position lightweight content over it. Also, mix all the small- and large-sized boxes to prevent leaving any spaces. This will assist in reducing the odds of the boxes moving and getting damaged extensively during transport. Bottom line: Researchers highlight that 73% of the commonly transported items are household goods with electronic office equipment chipping in 20% to the share of moved goods. Regardless of what you’re shifting though, make sure that you pack your belongings properly to minimize damage. Read Also: Moving House? Here’s The Ultimate Checklist How To Pack Clothing Properly For Shipping Feature Image: Source

Seven ways to Support Family and Friends with Special Needs

When parents decide to start their journey of parenthood, they hope that they will get and bring up a perfectly healthy child. However, many are the times when genetic defects, birth complications, injuries, and other problems get in the way, and differently gifted children are born. Not many people take the time needed to understand people with disabilities, and even fewer people are willing to go out of their way to offer them support. If you have family or friends with special needs, here are a few ways in which you can make them feel your love and support. 1. Talk to them: Not many people know this but whether it is at work, school, at home and in other social setups, the productivity of people with disabilities and those close to them depends a lot on the attitude of the general community towards them. If the community around a disabled person has formed a negative attitude and barriers to their inclusion, they end up withdrawing and doubting their capabilities. On the other hand, when they are made to feel included and accepted they blossomed. Parents of children who have disabilities admit that they like it when a stranger walks up to them in a park and shows genuine interest to learn about their child’s condition. What people appreciate the most are people who take time to ask specific questions. For instance, ask how the child’s physical therapy is going as opposed to asking something general or offering that supportive smiles. At times you will find that people with disabilities need a listening ear, and they appreciate it when you take time and pay attention to details about their lives. 2. Be aware of personal space: People with disabilities often use mobility aids such as wheelchairs, walkers, canes and other items. What most people do not understand is that most view these aides as part of their personal space. When interacting with disabled people, you always have to respect their personal space. If for instance, you want to assist them in pushing their wheelchair, do not just grab and start pushing at it, ask them if it is okay to help them move from one point to the other, you can push the chair when they agree. The same applies to when you feel they need you to support them in standing up, sitting down or other movements. You can start by saying something like, “Here, let me help you,” and then wait for their consent. If they feel that you are patronizing them or treating them like they are completely helpless, they will push back and reject your help. 3. Be thoughtful: There is nothing that whispers support to a disabled person more than knowing that you thought about them before you made the plans that you have made. It means that if for instance, you planned a meeting, you made sure that the room was accessible via wheelchair and there are ramps and other relevant accessibility and support features. It is also important to always inform them about all the plans which you have made for the meetings and other get-together arrangements so they can prepare well in advance. 4. Treat them normally: One of the most difficult corners to navigate when dealing with people who have disabilities is learning how to interact with them without making them feel abnormal. Most people think that being sensitive to these people is about hiding the achievement of their normal kids and clapping when the disabled kid does something that is simple and normal. When interacting with disabled people, do not minimize yourself or your child’s achievements. Learn that the disabled kid might not do things like regular kids, but they still get things done, eventually. Treat them like just any other kid, and they will respond positively to this. 5. Do not try too much: Another mistake people make when interacting with disabled people is the need to know what to say and what to do at all times. The truth is that disabled people are just like everyone else. It is okay to have a slip of the tongue when interacting with them. It is alright to listen to them when they are telling you about their complications and tell them that you honestly do not know what to say. If you have no idea how to help them when they are at their weakest, it is still okay to sit with them and listen. Your presence is reassuring enough for them. 6. Go an extra mile in the extreme seasons: Disabled people tend to struggle a lot more than everyone else in. They have to cope with inaccessible sidewalks, flare-ups which are triggered by the low temperatures, chronic pain and other issues that result from being stuck at home too long. These are the things you can do to ease their discomfort during this season: Take food to them-it is possible that they will not access grocery stores and farmers markets Visit them and spend the time to end the feeling of loneliness and depression. Send them a message and genuinely ask how they are faring Help them around the house and help them shovel and salt their driveways. 7. Support their dreams: There is nothing that says love to a disabled person than when you genuinely support their work. People with disability wake up in the morning because they believe they can rise against the odds and make a difference. The least that you can do to make their world a little easier to manage is to support their dreams and their work. When they tell you they are having a talent show, be present and cheer them on. Buy their art, shop from their outlets and all other small gestures which will make them feel appreciated. These are just a few of the things that you could do to help people with disabilities. In case you interact with them and realize they may need counseling from professionals, you can reach out to Regional & Rural Toowoomba Psychologists. They are well equipped to offer the support needed to make the lives of people with disabilities simple. Read Also: Practical Ways To Help Your Elderly Parents 7 Interesting Gifts For Your Best Friends Ways To Emotionally Deal With Chronic Illness Tips For Throwing A Family Reunion People Will Remember For Years 8 Family Friendly Careers That Offer Great Pay And Work-Life Balance

10 Helpful Kid Closet Organization Hacks

Every parent knows how hard it is to keep their kid's room clean. In a matter of minutes, a perfectly clean space and be destroyed by little hands. This applies to closets as well. But the good news is there are things you can do to keep your child's closet more organized. We've gathered the top 10 helpful kid closet organization hacks you can try out at home. Check them out below! 1. Start with the Essentials : When doing any sort of home or DIY project, you have to make sure you have all the supplies you need. This totally applies when it comes to kid closet organization. The good news is that you don't have to spend a lot of time creating or assembling things. Most of these items are available at local stores and are simple to implement. Here's a basic list of things you may need: Kid-sized hangers (Adult ones are too big and will lead to disorganization) A hamper Storage baskets Drawer inserts Hooks for the wall Shelf dividers Head to your local home decor store and you will be on your way to complete closet organization. 2. Utilize Storage Bins : Another kid closet organization hack is to add extra storage. As you've dealt with your child's closet, you probably have noticed that there's not enough storage space. This is a common problem. But there are many solutions! The biggest thing is choosing what kind of storage solution that you need. Do you have young children who can't reach their hangers? Or do your kids have a lot of toys and nowhere to keep them? Perhaps you have two kids sharing one closet. No matter what, adding storage is your solution. Here are some potential options: Bins Baskets Extra wire shelves Rubbermaid containers 3. Have a Designated Place for Shoes : Have you ever walked into your kid's room and found pair after pair of little shoes lying around on the floor? This is a common frustration for many parents. One way to solve this problem is to have a designated place for shoes in your little one's closet. You could have a specific basket on the floor of their closet that your kids can easily access. Another way to organize their shoes is to have a specific shelf that they can reach that is for shoes only. 4. Develop a Hanging System : It can be hard for kids to pick out clothes when there is no organization system in place. One way to fix this problem is to come up with a hanging system. One idea is to hang them by category. You can split things up according to these styles: Short sleeve shirts Long sleeve shirts Tank tops Dress shirts Dresses Shorts Pants Pajamas And any other categories they have You could also coordinate them by color if this system is too complicated. Either way, this is a great kid closet organization hack. Your kids will know exactly where to put their clothes, whether they're Nicki's Gucci for kids or their pajamas. 5. Another Kid Closet Organization Hack: Go Vertical : Some closets are so small or are so packed already that there's no room for extra shelves or bins. In this case, consider going vertical with your storage. One great way to do this is to utilize the door. Pick up an inexpensive shoe organizer that hangs on the back of the door. This can be used to store a variety of things, including shoes, clothes, and toys. If you have a baby, you could keep diapers, wipes, or onesies in a shoe organizer as well. And the best part is that you're not taking up any shelf space with it! 6. Label it All : With so many bins and baskets, it can be hard to keep things straight. That's why labeling is a great idea. If you have a label maker, this is super easy. Just create different ones for toys, shirts, pants, etc. If you don't have a label maker, that's totally fine as well! You can create them just using paper. Then just glue or pin the labels to each storage container. This will make your life much simpler! 7. Double Your Hanging Space : Many apartments and homes only have one closet rod and, usually, it's up high. For little ones, these are often impossible to reach. That's where closet doubler rods come in handy. You can install them below the normal rod and they're not that hard to do. Having this means your kids can reach their clothes easier but it also doubles their amount of hanging space. 8. Color Coordinate Bins : If your kids can't read yet, labels will do very little to help them organize. Instead, consider color-coordinating their storage bins. For example, red could be for books, blue could be for toys, and yellow could be for shoes. Whatever you decide to do as far as colors, help your child understand the difference between the various containers. 9. Keep Two Extra Containers in Their Closet : If you're like most parents, you have a lot of clothes for your child. Some they have outgrown and others they haven't grown into yet. These can cause a lot of clutter in your kid's closet if you're not careful. That's why it's a great idea to always keep 2 large containers, one for each category. That way it's all organized. This is especially great if you have more than one child. This makes organizing hand me downs much easier. 10. Stop Sibling Fights : Did you know that the average pair of siblings fight or argue 3.5 times every single hour? As a parent, you want to do everything you can to stop this from happening! One great way is through keeping their closet organized. If you have kids that share a closet, divide the space. Make a clear division between their clothes to avoid unnecessary contention. Final Thoughts : Now that you've read through these closet organization hacks, it's time to implement them! Choose your favorites and try them out. Have questions? Feel free to contact us. Want to discover more parenting hacks? Check out our blog! Read Also : 10 Effective Homework Tips For Your Kids Things Every Employee Ought To Know About Medical And Family Leaves

Are You Better Suited To Short-Term Fostering Or Long-Term Fostering?

Providing Immediate Support with Short-term Fostering

Providing a Consistent Loving Home with Long-term Fostering

Assessing Your Suitability

Legal Insights On NEC Baby Formula Controversies: Navigating Complex Issues

Making The Most Of Hand-Me-Downs And Second-Hand Finds For Your Kids

Tags

Nabamita Sinha

Nabamita Sinha loves to write about lifestyle and pop-culture. In her free time she loves to watch movies and TV series and experiment with food. Her favourite niche topics are fashion, lifestyle, travel and gossip content. Her style of writing is creative and quirky.

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Mobile Storage – 5 Steps for Packing Your Belongings Safely

Seven ways to Support Family and Friends with Special Needs

10 Helpful Kid Closet Organization Hacks

Are You Better Suited To Short-Term Fostering Or Long-Term Fostering?

Providing Immediate Support with Short-term Fostering

Providing a Consistent Loving Home with Long-term Fostering

Assessing Your Suitability

Share this Article

Legal Insights On NEC Baby Formula Controversies: Navigating Complex Issues

Making The Most Of Hand-Me-Downs And Second-Hand Finds For Your Kids

Tags

Nabamita Sinha loves to write about lifestyle and pop-culture. In her free time she loves to watch movies and TV series and experiment with food. Her favourite niche topics are fashion, lifestyle, travel and gossip content. Her style of writing is creative and quirky.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Popular

Follow Us

Recent

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