When welcoming a foster child into your home, regardless of the amount of time they will spend with you, it’s of course imperative that they feel happy, safe and secure. Even if they are only with you for a short time, they will need their own room in which they can have some privacy in a comfortable and happy space.
Creating this refuge for your foster child can seem like quite a daunting task as you will no doubt want to get it just right but may not know much about the child yet. Therefore we thought we’d put some tips together to help you achieve that safe haven that they will love.
When in doubt, go for neutrals
If you don’t know the child very well, you may want to avoid going for the whole ‘pink for girls, blue for boys’ themes, especially if they are a bit older. Have a neutral base, including beiges, whites and warm browns to keep things simple yet homely. You can then build on this with things like wall art, rugs and curtains, which are also easier to replace if it doesn’t match their tastes or personality.
Help them make it their own
You could even encourage or help them to make it their own by having them help you to decorate it, or at least add little details to make it their own. Some foster children may not have had their own room before, so this will no doubt be a really exciting opportunity for them to truly own something themselves, which is even better if you know they will be with you for quite a while. Or for something really simple and instant, things like notice boards are a great idea.
Include a box that is completely private
Some children in foster care may have had a bad experience in bedrooms before, and may not feel comfortable in them as a result. It’s vital that they understand that in your home their bedroom is theirs completely and they should always know that they are safe and secure in it. To reiterate this idea, you could give them a special box with a key and put it in their bedroom, and show them that this box – just like their bedroom – is absolutely private.
Think about the future
It may be worth thinking slightly ahead when decorating the child’s bedroom, as although you will want to make it lovely and special, you will not want to make it too much of a mammoth task to change it if they won’t be with you for too long. It’s worth talking to your foster care agency for ideas of what you can do to help the specific child feel at home in their new temporary bedroom without having to decorate too much. For example, with Capstone and other companies, they offer the chance to chat about the child so you can identify their interests, whether you’re fostering in the North West or other parts of the UK. You could get a few simple things to make them feel happy in your home for the short time they are there, such as their favorite films, CDs and books on their own special shelf.
