The First of Many Things by Chantelle, aged 9
My feelings
At first I felt lonely, I didn't know my place, but all I had to do was look at my foster mum’s cheery face. It was the most beautiful face I had ever seen, I had never seen one more lovable.
Buster the foster dog by Alex, aged 15
November began with the selected 12 English local authorities joining us for a workshop as part of the Department for Education funded project to Support fostering services to recruit more foster carers.
The momentum groups – set up in some of the programme sites to keep those who have undertaken the social pedagogy courses on a continuous learning journey – in Hampshire, Somerset and Bristol & Gloucestershire have been deepening their learning and have created amazing initiatives.
Months after my foster son was taken into care, contact with his birth mother was stopped. It was judged too upsetting for him as his mother was so angry and this anger spilled out during contact.
Neath and Port Talbot fostering service celebrated this years sons and daughters campaign with a spooky time for all at the seaside.
Children living at the Shaping Futures home in Staffordshire and some fostered children came together with their residential workers and carers to jointly “hunt for a diamond” at an outdoor activity centre. Julie Seifert, student social pedagogue, reports on the day.
Fostering isn't just a job my Mum does. It isn't just a way of getting money at the end of the month. It's a lifestyle. Daisy, aged 13, the daughter of foster carers discusses life in a fostering household.
The social pedagogy team in Edinburgh were nominated for the Council’s Children and Family Award under the category of Creating, Inspiring and Innovating.
When I first started writing my fostering memoirs in 2007 it broke new ground. No one before had written about the often hidden and sometimes secretive world of fostering and the social services. My reason for writing was partly cathartic and also I wanted to raise awareness.
Website and contents copyright © The Fostering Network 2016
Registered in England and Wales as a limited company no. 1507277
Registered charity in England and Wales 280852 and in Scotland SC039338