We understand that life can be extremely busy when you are a foster carer. Often your days are spent taking care of your looked after child’s needs, attending appointments, helping with schoolwork and so much more. Making time for yourself as a foster carer can be difficult but it is not impossible.

Here is our advice if you are looking for ways to look after your mental health as a busy foster carer:

• Talk to your social worker – It is always best to talk to someone if you feel like you are struggling. Keeping your feelings locked up inside can often lead to further problems in the future. Don’t suffer in silence. If you’re finding life challenging, speak to your social worker or the team at your fostering agency. Here at Focus, we offer round the clock telephone support. It is our job to support you and help you to become the best foster carer you can be.
  
  If you are facing any challenges, we are here to support you and offer guidance whenever we can. Our team are here to be your listening ear and shoulder to cry on. We understand how challenging fostering can be and we are always available to support our fostering team.
  
  
• Speak to other foster carers – Life as a foster carer is often full of unique challenges that the other parents on the school run may not understand. Looking after children in care is not the same as caring for your own birth children. Also, foster carers don’t have colleagues in the same way as other employees. You may work alongside your social workers, but you won’t be a part of a typical ‘workplace team’.
  
  We understand that this lack of professional comradery can make life as foster carer lonely at times, which can in turn have negative mental health implications. To help combat feelings of loneliness, we encourage foster carers to socialise with other foster carers in the community. Sometimes all you need is a good chat with someone who ‘just gets it’. Socialising with other foster carers can give you the opportunity to share your challenges, swap tips and advice and receive peer support.
  
  At Focus Foster Care, we arrange regular social events for our fostering team. The foster carer meet ups give our carers the chance to socialise and for the children to make new friends too. Don’t underestimate the power of a good conversation with someone who understands what you’re going through. Remember, a problem shared is a problem halved.
  
  
• Make time for yourself – Fostering is a 24/7 job. Looking after children of any age is often non-stop and making time for yourself can be difficult. Foster carers ‘work from home’ and while this means you’re not surrounded by colleagues, it also means there are often pockets of time that can be used for self-care throughout the ‘working day’. It may be difficult to find big chunks of time to dedicate to yourself, but often a little and often approach can be just as beneficial.
  
  Make sure to schedule time in your day to do something that you enjoy. This could simply be spending 10 minutes reading a book or enjoying a half an hour walk around the park before the kids get home from school. Writing in a journal before going to bed is another great way to clear your mind and process any negative feelings you may have built up throughout the day.
  
  It is possible to be an attentive and loving foster carer and still prioritise time for your own hobbies and interests. Yes, you are a dedicated foster carer, but you are still YOU. Looking after your mental health is an act of self-care and an act of love for the children in your life.