On 27 August, BBC Radio 4’s Today programme ran an in-depth article on the effect of Private Equity investors buying up small Independent Fostering Agencies, in the process creating three very large organisations which between them dominate the fostering market. We at...
We regularly identify current research, events or developments which we feel may interest you. This month I want to let you know about a free conference I attended in June 2019, which was organised by the British Red Cross, UpRising and the Refugee Council. The study...
As part of your application to foster, you will be asked what age children you’d be willing to look after. Have you thought about what’s involved in fostering babies and toddlers? Fostering any child is a 24/7 commitment. You may think that this is most keenly felt by...
Having a foster child join your family is a huge life event for them and you. The first step is to create a warm and welcoming environment. This will help a child to feel loved and valued from the beginning of their new placement. A child may appear to settle in...
In the 3 years we have been fostering we have had 3 longer term placements and 2 children stay for a short break whilst their carers were on holiday. The youngest young person being a 5 week old baby and the eldest being 6 years of age. Our own youngest child is now...
"Our placement manager has been a cornerstone in achieving our goal as foster carers. When we had a million questions to ask, she answered every one with a smile. When we went through to panel the words “you’ll be fine” were ringing through our ears. And we were. The...
"Me and my husband have been fostering for nearly five and a half years with AFA. Throughout this time we have had a number of placements with varying challenges. Our very first placement was a sibling group who were with us for just over a year. This came with many...
"“What do you do?” people ask. “We’re a fostering family” I reply. “Oh that’s amazing, I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t be able to give them back”. “Oh really” I always say, thinking to myself “you think we just give them back?!” When we first started fostering it was...
Becoming a foster parent isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. It takes dedication, kindness and commitment to make a difference to a child’s life. To help you decide if you’ve got what it takes, you can read our Top 10 Foster Carer Qualities. Once you’ve decided that...
Senses are the way we detect our world, helping us understand what we see, hear, touch, smell and taste. We also have three other senses which help us to detect the world. They are largely unknown but play a crucial role in how we feel. These senses are called...