Some children come into foster care due to experiencing sexual abuse, and in the second part of our series on abuse, we ask… What is sexual abuse? Childline’s guidance for children and young people defines sexual abuse as: “When someone is forced, pressurised or tricked into taking part in any kind of sexual activity with…
This month we celebrate the fantastic contribution that children of foster carers make in the home! These amazing young people share their parents, their homes, time, and extend the hand of friendship to children that cannot live with their own families. Children in foster care can stay with a foster family sometimes for only a…
The process of accepting one’s body, loving one’s body, being more confident in their own body is not an easy one. In my personal endeavour to develop a better self-image as well as grow in confidence, one thing I’ve had to really confront is the perceptions I had of my body and where these ideas…
Children come into the foster care system for a variety of reasons but the most common is neglect. The NSPCC explains as follows: What is neglect? Neglect is the ongoing failure to meet a child’s basic needs and the most common form of child abuse. A child might be left hungry or dirty, or without…
Becoming a foster carer is an amazingly rewarding experience that can change lives. As you have already decided to look into becoming a foster carer, we expect that you are now thinking about what you actually ‘need’ to be a foster carer, and what the next steps might be to start the process. Here is…
Your spare bedroom. That lovely, lovely extra space. Something that many would love to have, but those of us that do have a spare room sometimes don’t always appreciate what a great little luxury it is. Over the last 18 months or so, through various stages of lockdown, we may have come to view this…
What has been your prompt to make you think about fostering as a career change? You need a new challenge Even if you like your job, company and work colleagues, it is possible that after several years have passed, you have become stuck in a routine. If you are the kind of person that needs…
Today is International Literacy Day – a day to highlight the importance of literacy throughout society, on both an individual and community basis. This event is celebrated each year on 8th September and was started by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). They say: “Since 1967, International Literacy Day (ILD) celebrations have taken place…
There are lots of changes happening right now and with the new academic year just around the corner, most students can expect to return to new measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID. Whilst these changes can be daunting, the pandemic has opened up many peoples’ eyes up to how things can…
I’m sure that you have all seen the news in relation to the situation in Afghanistan, and that our government has pledged to offer asylum to Afghans, particularly those from minority groups, women and girls. Although the majority of referrals are for teenage males, we are expecting that foster homes will be required for the…