contact

Building resilience 

Without intervention, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can affect a person for life. Adults who experienced four or more ACEs as children are at higher risk of poor mental and physical health, and worse outcomes in general. Many fostered children in Wales have experienced four or more ACEs. The children who recover best from adversity are those with high levels of resilience.

This factsheet explains more about resilience, and where you can learn practical ways to boost a child’s resilience.

What is contact?

Contact arrangements involve the child or young person and their family members. They can include extended family and friends.

Foster carers play a crucial role in supporting children’s relationships. They need to offer a consistent, reliable base from which children can connect with their families safely. Their approach to the tasks involved in contact has implications for the welfare of their fostered children at the time and in the longer term.

About the campaign

The relationship between fostered children and their former foster carers is increasingly being recognised as extremely important to the development and wellbeing of the child.

In response to feedback from our members, we are campaigning on the importance of maintaining relationships between children and young people and their former foster carers.

The Fostering Network agrees with the conclusion of the Care Inquiry that relationships are the "golden thread" running through a child's life. These relationships may be multiple and diverse.