Empowering Teens: Insights and Approaches for Foster Parents of Adolescents

Here are some insights for foster parents of adolescents needing support with navigating caring for a teen.

How to foster a teenager

Foster children are diverse. They have different ages, backgrounds and life experiences. It’s not uncommon for foster carers to care for adolescents, in fact, most children in the out of home care system are between the ages of 10 and 17.

While teenagers have different needs and require different approaches to care, they, like all children in care, just need a safe, stable and supportive environment to thrive.

So, how do you provide care for a teenager?

In this article we’ll share some insights and approaches for foster carers to consider when caring for a teenager.

Understand their interests

One of the most important things to do when caring for a teenager is to develop an understanding of their interests. By doing this, you’re showing them that you care for and want to support their interests. This can go a long way towards them developing trust and appreciation of you. Thus, strengthening your relationship with one another.

Foster parents of adolescents need to just be real

Teenagers can detect if you’re being your authentic self. If you can be real with them, they’re more likely to be real with you. This involves being truthful, not pretending to be someone that you’re not and not keeping things from the young people in your care.

Respect their privacy

Everyone deserves their right to privacy, especially teenagers. Teenagers are going through so many physical and emotional changes and are more sensitive when it comes to their privacy. You should never spy on teenagers or search through their belongings. If you’re genuinely concerned for their safety or wellbeing, immediately contact Child Safety or your foster care practitioner to discuss appropriate actions and next steps.

Listen to and communicate with them

Listening is an important communication skill, and it’ll allow you to understand what’s going on in a young person’s life. If your adolescent foster child wants to talk to you, give them your full attention. This may mean stopping what you’re doing and listening to them. Your body language can play an important factor in this, and they’ll often observe this.

If you have any questions about what they’re telling you, make sure to present them in a respectful and non-judgmental way. By listening to and responding to the young person in a careful and considerate manner, you can help strengthen your connection with them and they may become more trustful of you when they need to talk to you in future.

Foster parents of adolescents should advocate for their needs

An important part of being a carer is being able to advocate for young people and their needs. Teenagers, especially, are at a time in their life where they need to feel supported, and you can play a role in showing up for (or with) them to ensure that their voices are heard, and they’re supported in their needs and decisions. Read more about how you can be an advocate for your foster child here.

Why should you foster teenagers?

Foster parent of adolescents. Foster dad cooking with teen daughter.

Fostering teenagers can be an incredibly rewarding experience. If you’ve ever wondered what rewards come with caring for adolescents, here are just some of them:

Teenagers can be more independent. While there are exceptions, most teenagers can generally take on and contribute to more household duties than younger children and don’t require as much supervision