Fostering a disabled child
The role of an independent fostering agency
Can I choose who I foster?
How to foster
What are the benefits of fostering with an independent fostering agency?
What happens when a child is taken into care?
Fostering process: what happens on an initial home visit?
Can you foster if you have mental health issues?
Fostering with local authority vs independent agency
Interview: Life as a foster parent during the pandemic
Becoming A Foster Carer
Benefits of becoming a foster parent
What is a Care Leaver?
What is a Foster Carer?
What is Foster Care?
Do I become a Foster Carer?
Fostering Regulations
How much do Foster Parents get paid?
How to Foster a Child
How long does it take to become a Foster Carer?
How to foster – everything you ever wanted to know
Facts about Foster Care
What are the Foster Care requirements?
Foster Care Handbook
Foster Carer Job Description
Changing IFA - Transferring to Capstone
Fostering Definition
Foster Care Statistics
Fostering Assessment
Fostering Outcomes
Fostering Stories
Fostering Children UK
Children needing Fostering
8 reasons why a child may be taken into care
Fostering as a Career
Looked after Children
Top transferable job skills to become a foster carer
Fostering as a same sex couple
Fostering while renting
Can I foster if...?
Mythbusting the top 10 Foster Care Myths
Can I foster if I am disabled?
LGBT Fostering Mythbusting
Can I foster if I have pets?
Can I Foster A Child?
Can you Foster and Work?
Can you Foster with a Criminal Record
Fostering as a Single Parent
LGBT Family and Foster Care
Fostering across Cultures
Muslim Fostering
Christian Foster Care
Sikh
Empty Nest Syndrome and Foster Care
10 things you can do when your Children fly the nest
Can I Foster?
Fostering Babies - Myths
Focusing on Parent & Child Fostering
Fostering Siblings
Fostering Teenagers
Fostering Teenagers - Breaking down the Myths
Fostering Unaccompanied and Asylum Seeking Children
Mother and Baby Foster Placements
Private Fostering
Therapeutic Fostering - Multi-disciplinary Assessment Treatment & Therapy Service (MATTS)
Young Children Fostering Placements
Difference between short and long-term fostering
How to prepare a child for becoming a care leaver
Children who foster: impact of fostering on birth children
How to prepare your home for a foster child
10 tips for foster children’s education
How to prepare your foster child for secondary school
Tips for coping when foster placements end
Tips for foster parents during Coronavirus
What happens if foster parents get divorced?
5 ways to manage Mother’s Day with foster children
Tips for managing foster children’s bedtime routines
How to handle foster child bullying
Fostering allowances and the gender pay gap
Tips for keeping foster children safe online
How to adopt from Foster Care
5 ways to manage Father’s Day with foster children
8 most common fostering challenges
Supporting foster children’s contact with birth families
How to deal with empty nest syndrome
How to recognise signs of depression in foster children
Can you take a foster child on holiday?
Tips and advice on fostering with a disability
10 tips on connecting with your Foster Child
Fostering versus Adoption - What's the difference?
How Fostering can change a future
How to adopt from Foster Care
How to encourage children to read in Foster Care
How to prepare a Foster Child's bedroom
Online grooming - unwanted contact and how to identify it
Reading and storytelling with Babies and young Children
Supporting Children's Learning
Technology and Internet Safety advice
The 20 most recommended books Foster Carers and young people should read
The impact of early childhood traumas on adolescence and adulthood
Tips for coping with attachment disorders in Foster Children
Tips for supporting reunification in Foster Care
Together for a better Internet - Web Safety for Foster Children
What is sexual abuse and sexual violence
Foster Child behaviour management strategies
Foster Parent Advice: What to expect in your first year of fostering
Capstone's twelve tips at Christmas
10 celebrities who grew up in Foster Care
Celebrating our Children and Young People
Could Millenials be the solution to the Foster Care crisis?
Do you work in Emergency Services?
Form F Assessor and Assessment Training
Foster Care Fortnight
Improving Children's Welfare - Celebrating Universal Children's Day
It's time to talk about Mental Health and Foster Care
New Year - New Career - Become a Foster Carer
Promoting the rights and wellbeing of persons with Disabilities
Refugee Week
Young people and Mental Health in a changing world
Young People Charities
If you’re considering fostering but you have a disability, don’t let this put you off – fostering with a disability is certainly possible. That’s why we’ve put together this guide with tips for foster parents with a disability from interview with visually impaired carer, Marcus. Learn how to become a foster carer with a disability, and realistically how much this will impact your foster care career.
One of our Midlands carers, Marcus Pinnock, has shared his fostering story with us in order to provide advice and tips on fostering with a disability for other potential carers.
Marcus retired from his position in Sales at the age of 50 due a visual impairment diagnosis, Retinitis Pigmentosa, in 2006. “I began to explore my options as I knew I wanted to do more with my time and still felt like I could give back to the community, despite my condition. My sister was a foster carer and adoption was something that had been done in my extended family. I wanted to find out whether this was something I could also do.”
Marcus found fostering as an option – and began his assessment process with his partner Debbie which lasted 6 months. Regarding having a disability and considering fostering as a career, Marcus said:
“I considered whether my condition would make a difference to whether I could foster or not. However, I realised that if I had had my own young birth children at home, I would have naturally have had to adapt to provide care for them – so why not apply the same principle to taking care of children and young people who are in need of a loving and caring home.”
Marcus explained that there are some elements of his visual impairment which make fostering more difficult, such as being careful with toys being on the floor and ensuring that he uses public transport and taxis to attend meetings and health appointments. “You have to learn to adapt, and Debbie and I are more than able to provide for a child – regardless of a disability.”
Marcus and his partner Debbie began their fostering journey in March 2017 so have been fostering with Capstone Foster Care for over 3 years – having multiple foster placements during that time including short term fostering, emergency fostering, long term fostering and respite foster care.
“We are motivated to encourage our little boy that we care for to try and experience new things and since being with us, he has been to the beach for the first time, been to Go Ape, and visited The Cotswolds as well as other destinations on holiday. He is developing positive relationships, enjoying school and the time together that they have with wider family members.
I am over the moon with fostering and my only regret is that I didn’t start my fostering journey 5 or 6 years earlier. Even if I was not visually impaired, this is still the most rewarding job I have ever done.”
If you are wondering if you can foster if you’re disabled, our informative guide on both fostering with a disability, and fostering a child with a disability, has you covered. If you want to speak to one of our experts to gain more advice about disability fostering, get in touch today.
If you’ve got any questions or would like to find out more about fostering with Capstone, fill out the form below.
An experienced fostering advisor from your local area will then be in touch.
Start the conversation today. Our team of friendly advisors are on hand to answer any foster care questions you may have. We can offer you honest and practical advice that can help you decide if becoming a foster carer is the right path for you.
