What is a trauma ‘anniversary’ and what does it mean for those caring for children who have had a difficult, often traumatic start in life? Our body and brains ability to store trauma so that key events can trigger a reaction without us knowing why is linked to our primitive survival response. We remember how…
One Route to Education Feeling so tired, opportunity bare, Everyone telling me that I really should care, But I don’t see a future, it’s not worth the fight, It’s a new chance for failure, try as I might. They say to go back, to catch up on those years, To finally get moving and move…
I don’t know if it’s the same for everyone, but I always feel very excited when a placement call comes through. The snippets of information you get about a child or young person that could come into your home and heart always get me thinking. The problem is that the referral that follows usually include…
How trauma can trigger trauma in foster care When I was thinking about secondary trauma in fostering, as I often do, I went on a bit of a thought-fuelled journey as I thought about the topic from various angles. Should I be exploring? 1. Vicarious trauma? 2. Post-traumatic stress? 3. Secondary trauma? 4. Something else?…
Left Ear And Ear Right I have these for listening, Left ear and ear right, Plus the bit in the middle, That struggles at night. The left ear is listening, To a whispering word, The right ear hears different, And all seems absurd. The bit in the middle, Well let’s call it ME, Is locked…
Top 10 Things Every Child Needs We asked our Facebook community what they considered were the top ten things that every child needs taking for granted that food, water and oxygen are necessary for any child. Thanks to all of you for your input. From the responses received we have identified our top 10. Did…
Acronyms, Labels and People Following on from a comment on one of our Facebook threads we decided to throw out to the Facebook world what they thought about the term LAC (Looked After Child) and the issue of labelling children in care. We were met with a sizeable response which included many opinions and views…
Kelly and her partner Dan have been foster carers for a year. Kelly and Dan live with their son aged 9 and their daughter aged 10. Kelly previously grew up as a child of a foster carer and was surrounded by foster children all of her life. Here she tells us of her first experience…
Missing In The Middle Neither one place and neither the other, Neither with Mum and neither with Brother, Stuck in a world in the middle of two, Feel safer in care but still missing you. Hearing you call and the voice is so strong, But living with you was all kinds of wrong, I’m sitting…
I can’t foster because I am single and not in a relationship or I am in a gay relationship Wrong The findings of a recent survey by ‘The Fostering Network’ suggested that approximately 10% of foster carers are single carers. Without finding any more definitive research, our anecdotal evidence (mainly in the South East of…