This Sunday, 20th June 2021, is Father’s Day – a time to reflect on being a father (or a father figure such as a foster carer) and what our own fathers mean to us. But what is the history of the day itself? – according to the Metro newspaper:
“Father’s Day has been celebrated among European Catholics since the middle- ages when it was originally marked on Saint Joseph’s Day (19 March) with a feast.
An annual day set aside for the celebration of fatherhood in Catholic Europe can be traced back as far as 1508 – although it is possible that a day honouring fatherhood specifically could have begun even earlier than that.
“America was one of the first nations to make Father’s Day an official holiday. The tradition was started by a woman called Sonora Smart Dodd, who was raised by a single father along with her five brothers, after their mother died during childbirth.”
(metro.co.uk, 2020)
Many male foster carers are fathers themselves; and therefore, able to draw on these parenting skills and life experiences to bring a foster child their possibly first positive experience of a male care giver. This gives the child or young person a chance to:
– form trusting relationships with a male parent figure
– have a male carer be able to listen and understand their needs
– experience positive role modelling from an adult male
We have many male foster carers fostering with us at UK Fostering either jointly with a partner or as single people. Men have so much to bring to fostering and changing young people’s lives.
We have also spoken to so many men during the Covid-19 lockdown period who have enjoyed being at home so much that they have changed their work arrangements to be remain at home even more and to able to foster.
If you are interested in fostering, please do read some of our blogs below written by male foster carers, who will hopefully inspire you to give us a call:
So, all it remains for me to say is that for all you fathers out there, all of us at UK Fostering wish you a lovely Father’s Day and hope that your family spoil you rotten 😊
Sources
https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/20/when-did-fathers-day-start-uk-what-date-2020-12878669/