Becoming a foster parent is a big decision, but it can also be one of the most rewarding experiences a person can have. As a foster parent, you have the opportunity to make a positive impact on a child's life, and in turn, your own. Discover the top reasons for becoming a foster parent – we hope they inspire you to consider helping a foster child.

Provide a loving and stable home for a child in need

By providing a stable and loving home, you can help a child build trust and develop healthy relationships. Many children in the foster care system come from difficult backgrounds and have experienced trauma. As of 2021, there were over 391,000,000 children in foster care in the United States, and in California alone, there were over 60,000 children in the foster care system. Agencies, like Victor FFA, place foster children within individual counties. We specifically serve Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties.

That means there might be thousands of children in your area that can use the safe home you’d provide. Please know that we don’t expect a picture-perfect home from our foster parents. Parenting is a challenge and homes can get messy, but love looks like that sometimes too. It’s the safe space that you offer that makes a difference in the foster child’s life.

Help a child achieve their full potential

Foster children often face challenges in school and their daily lives. Due to circumstances like instability and changing schools, children in foster care are more likely to have lower educational outcomes and experience more difficulties in school. As a foster parent, you can provide support, consistency, and guidance to help them overcome these obstacles and reach their full potential.

We’ve seen proof of the impact a foster parent can make on their children and teens’ education though the Guirados family. They raised 3 brothers for 5 years and their foster mom, Celedonia, always made sure education was a priority in the household. Beating the overwhelming odds, one of the brothers, Mich, went on the graduate USC with his Doctorate in Physical Therapy. He credits his foster home’s culture for supporting this accomplishment.

Make a positive impact on the community

Foster parenting is not just about helping one child, it's about helping the entire community. By providing a loving and stable home for a child in need, you can help break the cycle of poverty and trauma that can affect entire families and communities.

Many children in foster care come from families living in poverty and the number one form of child abuse is neglect. This means that foster children are often entering the system due to a lack of resources.

Reunification first agencies, like Victor FFA, have the goal of creating healthy and stable family systems so parents and children can be reunited. This means that while you’re fostering a child, their family will have the support and time they need to get back on their feet and be ready to provide for their child again and be stronger in the future.

Gain a sense of purpose and fulfillment

Being a foster parent can be challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. You’ll have the opportunity to watch a child grow and thrive under your care. You’ll also gain a sense of purpose and fulfillment knowing that you’re making a positive difference in the world. Even though you will be focused on caring for them, you’ll feel like you’ve received something too.

There are life lessons you can help them learn, like teaching them how to be resilient by overcoming challenges. In a safe and stable environment, they won’t have to focus on survival, allowing them to learn more about who they are and discover their interests.

You get to celebrate with them when things go well! These are young people who will grow into the adults of the future, and as a foster parent you’d have a hand in raising them. It’s a big responsibility and makes a world of difference.

Learn and grow as an individual

You never know who you’ll meet and what they can teach you, whether that’s a foster child or the people you meet once you become a part of our community. Being a foster parent is a learning experience. You learn about yourself, your strengths, and weaknesses, and how to be a better person. You also get the opportunity to learn about different cultures, backgrounds, and behaviors, and how to better understand and communicate with people from different backgrounds.

We partner with our foster families to train and educate them to become foster parents. They have a social worker who’s there to answer their questions and help navigate placements and their time as caretakers. Being willing to grow and learn can be a challenge, but it’s always worth it.

Make a lifelong impact

Many foster children go on to achieve great things and literally make the world a better place through advocacy, social change, and who they become. You can be a big part of that. There are many former foster children who keep in touch with their foster parents into adulthood and consider them family even without adoption.

So many foster children who find success in the lives can credit it back to the foster parent who changed everything. It’s the adult who made them feel seen, loved, and known. Once a child knows they are cared for and trusts in it, you can help them build a strong foundation for their future.

Both statistics and anecdotal evidence support the benefits of becoming a foster parent, offering an opportunity to provide a safe and loving home to children in need, help them reach their full potential, positively impact the community and gain a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

If you’re considering becoming a foster parent, we encourage you to take the next step and find out more by downloading our ebook below that answers the top questions about becoming a foster parent.