How pet’s can increase a foster children's emotional health

Our pet’s are very good at understanding our emotional state. Dog’s for example can understand how we are feeling from our tone of voice and body language. Dogs and cats will look into their owners eyes, to judge our emotional state and respond to it, giving their human companions a fuss then they are feeling down.

Friendship is really important to us and improves are emotional health, it has been shown to prevent illness and add years to our lives – while isolation can lead to depression.

The covid restrictions on our lives have made us all aware of just how important this is.

When a foster child first comes to live with a new family, it can be a little overwhelming or even a bit scary for some children.  But it can also be lonely for a child coming into a brand new home with brand new people.  The friendship provided by a pet can help children to feel less lonely in new home and family and in some cases children often make attachments to the family pet before their human counterparts.  Animals also have another advantage for children, they don't make demands and they can't talk back!

This means all they offer is companionship without ever telling a child off or giving instructions and this can provide a great sense of security for children, it can help them to feel important because they receive unconditional affection which helps boost self esteem which is really important as a starting block for positive emotional health.

Children who have emotional attachments to pets have also been shown to find it easier to form relationships with people too.

This is useful for foster children who need to form relationships with new family members and make new friends.

For all the benefits pets may provide, there are things to consider when fostering a child.