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A blog from our chief executive, Kevin Williams.
It’s Children’s Mental Health Week. I know that holding special weeks to shine a spotlight on a particular issue is really important – indeed, at The Fostering Network we organise and deliver Foster Care Fortnight! – but I hope we all agree that the mental health of children is such a vital issue we must not allow the focus on it to dissipate after this week.
Sometimes I think I struggle to feel satisfied. When it comes to issues relating to fostering I always want things to be better. That’s what motivates me in my role at The Fostering Network. Occasionally, however, it’s good to take time to celebrate a success. That’s what I’ll be doing (at least for a couple of days) over Christmas as I reflect on the fact that, thanks to a campaign that The Fostering Network has led, fostered children in England who are aged three or four will be able to access the additional 15 hours free childcare that so many of their peers are already able to make use of.
Foster carers help transform children’s lives. Many of these children will have experienced extremely traumatic starts to life and many will have been ill-treated. Caring for children who have experienced such trauma can bring significant challenges to foster carers who have to strike a difficult balance between keeping fostered children (and themselves and their families) safe and allowing their fostered children to experience a full family life and as normal a childhood as possible.
[This blog by our chief executive, Kevin Williams, first appeared on Huffington Post.] One of the biggest changes in working with looked after children over the 30 or so years that I have been working within the sector is the recognition that we must take their mental health as seriously as their physical health. This is a hugely welcome change and one that I have personally been very passionate about. That's why, when I was asked to sit on the Department for Education's expert working group with a focus on looked after children and mental health and wellbeing in England, I jumped at the chance.
This blog, by our chief executive Kevin Williams, first appeared on Huffington Post on 25 August 2017.
