Fostering children with complex needs means caring for young people who may need extra help because of their health, development or emotional challenges. These needs can be physical, medical, behavioural or emotional — and sometimes a mix of all four.
What “complex needs” can mean
Physical needs: Children have ongoing conditions (e.g., diabetes, epilepsy, severe allergies, disabilities) that require regular treatment or specialist care.
Neurodiverse children: Children whose brains process information differently including those who are autistic, have ADHD, or dyspraxia.
Learning disability: Children who have a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information. The level of this reduced ability is different for every child with a learning disability.
Emotional and behavioural needs: Some children may struggle with trust, attachment, or managing their feelings because of past trauma and these struggles can often be evident in their behaviours.
Mental health needs: Anxiety, depression, or other difficulties that require therapeutic or medical support.
Foster carers focus on the positives
Caring for children with more complex needs can be challenging but also hugely rewarding. Fitzgerald Fostering focuses on supporting our foster carers to forge positive relationships with children and young people in their care no matter how challenging the situation. This helps children and young people thrive and achieve and enables foster carers to feel they are making a real difference.
