As the social-distancing rules have been relaxed, we take a look at how our own foster carers coped with and adapted to the Covid-19 lockdown, and how it affected children in their care. Some carers are trying to recreate the school day to give some structure. For...
Fostering Guides

5 Ways Christmas Might Be Different for Fostered Children
As we head into the new year, all of us at AFA Fostering, along with our busy foster parents, are getting ready for Christmas. For many, it’s a time of big grocery shopping trips, school plays, hanging festive decorations, lots of mince pies, secret Santa...

Why Are Case Records and Logs So Important to Young People?
Barnardo’s has one of the largest collections of archives and records about children in the world, dating from the 1870s to the present day. This archive holds thousands of files and photographs of children and young people who were looked after by the charity, either...

Sensory Care Made Simple: Touch
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...

How to Support Your Foster Child With a Healthy Diet
Encouraging your child with a healthy diet can be challenging. Particularly with all the varying commercials regarding, fast food restaurants, sweets and drinks. Marketing are very good with the timings and locations of advertising these products. Also it is important...

What To Do If My Foster Child is Self-Harming?
A child in your care hurting themselves is one of the most worrying and scary things any foster parent has to face, and it will have a big emotional impact upon you, even if you’ve experienced it before. As terrifying and incomprehensible as it can seem, it’s actually...

What To Do If My Foster Child Won’t Eat?
When your child will not eat it becomes a worrying time for all parents and carers, however you are not alone. Although forcing a child to eat more than he/she needs, can only lead to tears, tantrums and stressful mealtimes for all involved. Make sure to take a look...

My Foster Child Won’t Go To School
When a child doesn’t go to school it can have a huge impact on both the child themselves and on everyone else in the household. Refusing to go can be a sign of problems in or out of school and it’s important to focus on getting to the underlying cause of why they...

My Foster Child is Stealing
Telling tall tales is a normal part of growing up... Many children go through a stage of telling tales or mistruths and often taking things that are not theirs. This is part of child development and children working out right from wrong. This can happen at different...

How To Support Your Foster Child With Homework
Why is helping your foster child with homework helpful? Parents and carers who take an interest in their children's homework have a better knowledge of their education. Additionally, children who are able to complete homework tasks successfully are likely to develop a...