How to Prepare Your Home for Fostering a Child

Preparing your home for foster care is a blend of thoughtful planning and heartfelt family readiness. From obtaining the best training and support to looking at your home environment through a trauma-based lens, there is a lot to take into consideration. Here’s how to get started on your journey.

Choose a Fostering Agency

Understanding how to prepare to be a foster parent can be daunting. Working with a foster care agency can make it easier. Agencies are responsible for making sure homes meet all safety standards, and they also provide the official approval or license needed to foster.

A good agency will walk you through every step, so you are never alone in the process. It provides training on how to care for children who may have experienced trauma and offers ongoing support and advice whenever you need it.

The agency will match you with a child whose needs and personality fit well with your family. You will have access to resources like support groups, counseling and sometimes even help with supplies. Agencies offer all kinds of advice and resources when preparing your home for foster care.

Agencies like Knotts Family Agency (KFA) exemplify what to look for when choosing an agency. At KFA, foster parents are considered key and equal partners in a joint fostering mission. The agency’s focus is on empowering them to offer the best possible care. For example, the required training can be completed online instead of in person, and families receive a higher basic monthly reimbursement.

To ensure wraparound and holistic support, KFA also provides a nutritionist or occupational therapist for the child in care, plus specialized psychological support. Ongoing mentoring, family literacy and parenting education help elevate foster parents so that they, in turn, can elevate the youngster.

Look for similar qualities in an agency in your area. Once you have selected one to work with, you can proceed to get your home ready.

How Do I Prepare My Home for Fostering a Child?

Preparing your home for foster care is all about looking at it through a foster child’s eyes. The environment must be safe, welcoming and nurturing.

Safety First

Your family agency will walk you through your state’s required safety checklist, but to prepare for this, make essential checks yourself. For example, ensure that you have working smoke detectors, a fire escape plan, and secure storage for medications or cleaning supplies. The focus is on creating a hazard-free environment.

Trauma-Informed Home Design

To create a welcoming space for a child who may have experienced trauma, you will need to recognize that a room’s layout and decor can have a real impact. Induce a sense of calm and positivity by removing potential stressors and generating a feeling of safety, security and emotional comfort. Trauma-informed design principles can help you create a home that looks and feels safe, which is crucial for your young person to thrive.

Some key ways of doing this include:

Color: Neutral, natural colors, such as pale greens and blues, are known to be calming. Avoid red, orange and yellow, as they may evoke strong emotions or feel overpowering.
Layout: Where possible, create clear sight lines so children can see who is around or approaching them and how to leave the space.
Privacy: Create some spaces, apart from the child’s bedroom, where they can feel in control and not be under constant surveillance.
Light: Allow as much natural light as possible to bring in a connection to the outside world.
Clutter: This can feel overwhelming, so try to keep the home tidy, although personalized.

A Welcoming Bedroom

Choose age-appropriate furniture and bedding and flexible storage for belongings. Decorate with neutral colors initially, but once the child is settled, be open to redecorating in their preferred hues. Their name on the door will make your youngster feel secure in their personal space and will demonstrate that they are welcome.

Prepare a welcome basket with essential toiletries, soft toys, books and snacks. Include a family photo with names to help them remember who is who. Think ahead and make sure your new arrival can see whatever they might need. Some children who have been through trauma are reluctant to ask for anything, so make it easier for them by making it clear where everything is.

Family Spaces That Encourage Belonging

Add photos, shared books and games to your living areas, and leave room for new pictures that will include the foster child. Create comfortable seating areas with soft throws and clear sight lines. Where possible, create a cozy nook, separate from the main living area but still in the communal space, so they have somewhere to retreat to without isolating themselves in their bedroom.

Some foster children will have experienced food insecurity and may not want to or understand how to ask for food when they are hungry. Creating a “snack bar” area stocked with fruit, granola bars and healthy treats can be reassuring. Explain to the child that they can help themselves at any time.

How Do I Prepare My Family for Fostering?

Preparing your loved ones is just as important as preparing your home for foster care. Your agency will offer you a wealth of support with this. If you already have kids, open, positive discussions about welcoming a new family member are key. Encourage existing children to help with decor choices and other ideas. Listen to their suggestions — they are seeing through a child’s eyes, and that matters.

Creating a Foster-Friendly Home

Being a foster parent is a uniquely special and rewarding responsibility. By working with a reputable agency and taking the time to prepare your home with trauma-informed design, you can be confident you are making the best possible preparations for your new arrival.