Why do ex-service personnel make fantastic foster carers?

Posted on 9th August 2016 by Kelly From Red Cow Media

Have you been in the military? Being in the services teaches you many qualities that would make you a fantastic foster parent. These include self-discipline, patience, communications, leadership and people management, to name a few…

So have you considered fostering a child or young person?

When you leave the armed forces, finding employment can be tough. While there are a wealth of career paths open to servicemen and women, the idea of fostering vulnerable children and young people as a career is often overlooked.

While fostering may seem far removed from a life on the frontline, it can set military families up with the transferable skills they need to offer a loving and secure home to vulnerable and troubled children.

Having already learned how to diffuse difficult situations and use practical ways to manage behaviours, ex-service personnel can often achieve objectives against all odds. Being in the forces means you will have had to think on your feet and work with others as a team, as well as adopting a certain sensitivity and diplomacy.

This training and serving in the forces is often an ideal foundation for a caring role – particularly helping guide older children and teenagers through life choices and preparing them for adulthood.

Fostering is both tough and challenging, as young people at times can display extreme behaviours and emotions due to loss, change, and negative experiences. Some young people may have experienced deprivation, extreme neglect, physical, emotional or sexual abuse in their lives.

With this said, for every challenge, the reward of knowing that you’ve played a part in helping that child experience a safe environment where they feel supported and listened to always triumphs. You can single handily help a young person recover from any bad experiences and develop a positive sense of themselves.

Being in the forces is all about supporting one another, working as a team and looking out for each other. Being a foster parent works on the same principles. For ex-service personnel, mentoring young people to develop key skills, confidence and motivation can come as second nature.

Foster carers are strong advocates for the young people they care for; always on their side, fighting for their rights and making sure their views are heard. It’s also about protecting young people so that they can recover from trauma and thrive and succeed in all aspects of life.

If you’re ex-service and think you could become a foster carer, you can talk to our helpful team at Lorimer. We are always here to answer any questions you may have before deciding whether fostering is right for you. Fill out our get in touch form here to start the process!