Whether you are looking to take in a new foster child suddenly or you have had a lot of time to prepare, you are likely to be worried about how your existing children will respond to the change. How your children feel about the new foster child and how they react can not only be stressful for you as a parent, but it can also have a big impact on how welcome and loved the foster child feels in your home. This guide is here to help by providing you with some advice about how to settle a foster child with your existing children to ensure the happiest experience all around.
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Do Your Research
When it comes to taking a new child into your home, it is recommended that you do as much research as possible into that child’s background. You should talk to their social worker or caseworker to find out more about the child’s history, and their family background, to discover what environment they are coming from. You should also talk to people about how this child interacts with other children and what they struggle with or which situations they find triggering.
Set Up the Bedroom
Adding a new child to your family can be a difficult process, especially for your other children. As the FCA explains, setting up a bedroom for your foster child can be essential for ensuring they have a safe space that is all their own. Providing your foster child with a room of their own will help them to take some time if they find their new home overwhelming, it will also show them that they are loved and welcome. To make sure their room is welcoming for them, you could find out more about what they like or what their favourite colour is to decorate the room before they move in.
Ask for Help 
Setting in will take time, and although this is perfectly natural, it is important that you can recognise the challenges you are undertaking and ask for help when necessary. Cutting back on extra jobs and responsibilities will also be essential for ensuring you have the time and energy you need to focus on making sure all of the children in your home are adjusting well.
Expect Growing Pains
When you are adding a new addition to your family, you should expect some growing pains. It is useful to think about how you are going to deal with these problems before they arise so you are better able to handle them at the moment. You must be aware that some level of conflict is a completely natural part of children learning how to navigate different relationships. Being able to stay calm and have a clear plan of action in these circumstances can be hugely useful.
Talk to Your Children
Before you foster, it is useful to spend some time having an open conversation with your children. Of course, you will not want to overshare about the particularities of a foster child’s case, but being open and honest about what foster care is and why you are doing it can be essential for getting everyone on the same page from the get-go.
