5 reasons to care for older kids & teenagers

For years we have been talking the crisis-level shortage of foster homes in Whatcom County and that we desperately need more people to become foster parents.

And we’ve been working hard to drive home that point—sharing with you the gripping true stories of the men & women doing the work, demystifying the process, and describing the traits of excellent foster homes.

And all of that has paid off. And now we have a different situation, a situation that we've never had before at Skookum. We have a waiting list for families wanting to care for children under 3.

That is: today there are 6 families trained, licensed and ready to go who are only interested in caring for children 3 years-old and younger. They are ready, their home is ready, and there aren't any 0, 1, 2, or 3yo's in need of a foster home. So, we wait.

This is new. We've never had this before. It's both great news, mission accomplished, and presents a new challenge. Because, there are children in need of foster homes in our community, but just not in this specific age range. Our posture is going to change a little, instead of talking so much about why you should be a foster parent generally, we'll spend some time talking about why you should be a foster parent to older children specifically.

So here are 5 (semi-serious) reasons why you should consider caring for older kids or teenagers in foster care.

1.) It is very trendy right now.

I'm told, by some members of Skookum staff who are a little more with-it than I am, that Australian pop-star Sia just adopted two 17yo boys who were in danger of aging out of foster care. If, like me, you don't have any idea who Sia is or even if I'm pronouncing his or her name correctly, then on to reason number 2.

2.) No diapers.

Older kids and teens have the toilet all figured out by the time they come to stay with you. So you'll have all the joys of parenting with none of the bodily fluids. What's not to love.

3.) Sleep through the night.

One of the hardest things about parenting or foster parenting very young kids is the sleep deprivation. Especially with kids in foster care, the bedtime routine can be brittle—mess up one tiny step and you could be out hours of sleep. Plus, even naturally developing toddlers often don't sleep through the night without interruption. So, when fostering a very young child you're looking at months maybe years without a full night's sleep. 

Or . . . you could foster a teenager who will sleep all night and maybe even through some parts of the daytime too.

4.) Quicker payoff

Foster parents often maintain a relationship with the young people they host long after they have launched into adulthood. And it's hard for me to imagine a greater payoff for this work than seeing a healthy adult that you helped care for when they needed it. When you foster a toddler, that payoff is fifteen years away or more. But if you foster a teen, that experience could be just a few years off. 

If you play your cards right—help a teen graduate, navigate the dating world, and meet a partner—in a couple years you could be a grandparent in your twenties. How cool would that be?

5.) Much needed right now

Finally and most importantly, there is a huge need for foster homes willing to care for older children and youth. If you want to do some good, there are few ways you can have a bigger impact than fostering an older child.

There you have it, five—semi-serious—reasons to foster an older child or teenager. If you'd like to explore how this might work for your family, visit skookumkids.org/fostercare.