Primarily, food is fuel. A necessary and inescapable component of life, food is also a commodity that we are unable to live without as our bodies simply would not have sustenance to survive. However, food can offer so much more beyond being an essential requirement for life. Food is subjective in that we all hold…
Christmas can be a busy time for all of us but there is no doubt that as foster carers, there is more planning, more to think about and more of an emotional balancing act between enjoying the festive season and being mindful of all this may bring up for a looked after child. On top…
We have been working from home for a few weeks now following requirements to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19. The kitchen table has become my office – this has its pros and cons as you are nearer the kettle but likely to have a cat wander across in the middle of a…
This is a question that arises frequently from potential foster carers; hopefully the blog below will help you understand the need for foster children and your own children to have separate bedrooms. Most young people placed into the home of foster carers have been subjected to neglect, a lack of healthy, nurturing love and often…
Dear Foster Carers, The impact of the Coronavirus is being felt in our families and communities across the UK and all over the world. I can reassure you that the UK Fostering Team will continue to everything we can to support and guide you through these difficult times. Since my last email to you just…
Fostering was something that only amazing couples and families did to help young people in need and not something a single person did. Especially a 60 year old! At least that is what I thought until about a year ago, when I was helping a recently arrived young refugee. He had been travelling on his…
Having 4 children of our own aged between 3 and 10 years, we thought a young person within that age range would be the perfect way to start our fostering journey. We were imagining our first foster child being under 10 and fitting in perfectly with the family! 2 days after panel we got that…
If you’re like us – two gay guys, who have always loved interacting with our nieces and nephews and friends’ kids, but never had the desire to have children of our own, if you’ve got a spare room in your house and time to commit – then fostering can fill that gap in your lives…
The morning begins with coffee whilst checking emails, website chat log and social media, to see if any new fostering applicants have contacted us since the office closed the previous evening. The enquiries can be varied, from people with no knowledge of what fostering is or whether they are suitable, some wanting to know the…
What was all the fuss about? Having watched the Channel 4 programme where Jo-Rosie Haffenden, a dog training expert takes the understanding and techniques she uses with dogs to modify children’s behaviour. I remain as outraged as I was prior to actually seeing it all played out, and deeply saddened. I am left with a…