Deciding to open up your home to a child who needs one is a huge, exciting step. It’s a journey that the whole household takes together, and getting your own sons and daughters on board is often the first big milestone. When you approach this conversation with warmth and honesty, you help pave the way for a really positive experience for everyone involved.
Chat About the Idea
The best approach is usually to bring your children into the loop straight away. You don’t need a perfect plan before you speak to them; just letting them know what you are thinking helps them feel like part of the team. Try bringing it up when everyone is relaxed, maybe while you’re all in the car or having a Sunday roast.
How you explain it depends entirely on how old they are. If you have little ones, you might just say that some children need a safe bed to sleep in for a bit because their parents are struggling. With teenagers, you can have a deeper chat about why care is needed, making sure they know it’s never the child’s fault. The main thing is to help them see that your family has plenty of kindness to share.
Deal with Their Worries
It is completely normal for your kids to have a few wobbles. They might ask about sharing their Xbox, their room, or even sharing you. When they voice these worries, listen to them properly. It’s okay for them to feel a bit unsure alongside the excitement.
You can reassure them that they aren’t losing their place in the family. Explain that love isn’t a pie that gets smaller when you slice it; it just gets bigger. Let them know the new arrival might be frightened or shy, and that your kids have a brilliant opportunity to be the ones who make them feel safe. It gives them a sense of purpose.
Get Ready Together
As things progress, you’ll have visits from social workers or someone from a foster care agency, like Fosterplus. Instead of making this feel like a formal inspection, explain that these people are just part of a big team helping your family get ready. It shows your children that there is plenty of support around.
Practical preparation is a great way to bond, too. Ask your kids to help pick out a duvet cover for the spare bed or choose a few books to put on the shelf. When they help set up the room, they start to feel proud of what the family is doing.
Keep the focus on the good stuff. Talk about the extra player you’ll have for board games or another person to take on family days out. Framing this as a shared family project helps your biological children feel secure.
By keeping the chat open and making sure your kids know their feelings matter, you build a solid foundation. Often, families find that doing this together actually brings them closer, teaching everyone a lot about kindness and what it really means to be a family.
