Blogs
Conducting fostering panels is essential but with the lockdown firmly in place, it can be challenging. Many services are now looking to virtual fostering panels as a way forward. Helen, a panel chair for Rochdale Borough Council, conducted her first virtual fostering panel recently and here tells us how it went.
In this blog Susan Soar gives suggestions for craft and creative activities that fostering families can do at home during the coronavirus outbreak.
In this blog Susan Soar from our Fostering Potential programme looks at some ways in which foster carers can support children’s learning during the current coronavirus outbreak.
Dr Dawn Huebner is a clinical psychologist specialising in the treatment of anxious children. Her latest book Something Bad Happened guides children and the adults who care about them through tough conversations about serious world events in the news. Here she tells Daniel Sinclair about the book and her motivation for writing it
For Willow, becoming a foster family meant significant changes. Less alone time, more social interaction, and being outside of his comfort zone a lot more. The 15-year-old, who has sensory processing difficulties, had to get used to the new situation at home but was intrigued to foster right away. He now plays a vital part in the household and supports his parents in delivering the best possible care for a boy with ADHD.
Lucy November is the creator of Fostering Hope, an online resource for foster carers and professionals that promotes excellence in parent-and-child foster care, recognising this as a specialised role needing additional training, skills and support. We caught up with Lucy to find out more about the website and what is available.
County lines is becoming an increasing problem within the UK and vulnerable children, including fostered children, are being exploited across towns and cities. Here you can read more about it.
When Henry's family started to foster he was only seven years old. Even though, at that age, he didn't quite comprehend what fostering was, he quickly learned how it was helping the children his family was caring for. Now 18, Henry works for his local authority as an ambassador for children and young people and recently won one of our Fostering Excellence Awards for his outstanding contribution to foster care.
We all know that postcodes can be pivotal when it comes to the provision of public services. The area you live in can affect your access to healthcare, leisure opportunities, your insurance prices, and more. In Scotland it also affects how much money is spent on children in care. Sara Lurie, director of The Fostering Network in Scotland, explains the situation and what can be done to change it.