We are often asked “what makes a good foster carer” and some people think it simply comes down to their circumstances, where they live, what the accommodation is like, the animals they have, the children in the home, whether they are married or not and / or their previous professional training. Whilst all of the…
What do you like doing? How do you keep fit? Did you used to do more when you were younger? How many different things did you get the opportunity to try before you chose an activity that you really liked? Being human we are of course all different, we all have different abilities and we…
With this years’ foster care fortnight starting on the 13th – 26th May we reflect on the fact that 9000 more foster carers are required nationwide. The Fostering Network works tirelessly to highlight the need for more foster carers and this year is no different. This year promises to be the biggest drive ever involving…
Is going abroad your idea of a holiday? Perhaps a budget caravan at the coast, or maybe camping under the stars! We all have our own ideas of what constitutes a family holiday. Does the place make the holiday, the people that go with you or is it just the fact that whilst on holiday…
On the 22nd May 2012 the former Children’s Minister Tim Loughton made a speech at the ‘Celebration of Fostering’ Event hosted by the Fostering Network. Amongst the many points he made, one particular point about working foster carers brought about a little debate. “…..I know that some services require all their fostering families to have…
What does Mother’s day mean to you? Is it about you giving to your mother or is it about your children giving to you. Is it about the card bought, or does it mean more if it’s made? Do you expect your children to be good all day and do the chores or just to say…
As Staffordshire County Council launches a drive to recruit prison officers and ex military as foster carers the question being asked is what they expect them to do with challenging kids in care. On the face of it, it’s a fair question. We don’t want our foster homes to become extensions of youth custody establishments.…
Ian Dickson is a retired social worker who spent nearly 40 years working in variety of social work roles around children and young people. These included inspector, children’s home manager and field social worker in the inner city. He is also a care leaver, having spent 16 years in care as a child in a…
Fostering is not only a rewarding task, but it can also be very challenging, testing and at times energy draining. That is why it is very important that we focus on providing reliable support to foster families, which can really make a difference in solving problems, working through issues and keeping placements of children and…
It is a fact that children do go missing from home, whether they are in care or not. And that is a problem and a source for real concern. It is a problem because there are risks associated. Some of the risks are obvious and some not so. Most of us know what those risks…