It’s not just common sense that children in care need their own room – it’s also a legal requirement for any child over the age of 3 - so you will need a spare bedroom to foster a child.
A child or young person's bedroom is a place they can call their own and it acts as their special ‘safe-haven’ - somewhere they can go to get a sense of quiet and privacy, or even to play and be creative.
It’s also a really important part of helping a child in foster care feel like they belong. Importantly, it also acts as a kind of ‘stepping-stone’ into their new foster family, helping them acclimatise and settle in. For these reasons, local authorities won't generally allow them to share a bedroom with other children (except with their own siblings depending on age and space available).
For foster parents, there’s another practical reason why a separate room is important. It’s a place where children in care can learn boundaries and routines, such as regular bedtimes, or spend time without disrupting other members in the household.
How to create a happy room for children in care
While there are minimum requirements your spare bedroom in order to foster, there’s much more you can do to prepare it so that it is a safe and welcoming place that actually helps build a child’s confidence and becomes somewhere they love and want to be.
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