Fostering: A child’s view – M’s story
Lucy Stevens - 17th February 2023
When I was 17, I thought I knew it all. I’d had a rough childhood and when I was a teenager I got in with a gang. I did drugs and did some drug running up and down the country. There was something comforting in that life, being on the edge, always a step away from violence. It was what I knew but it was also something I belonged to, something I didn’t have with my own family. Their rejection still hurt, and I would take the drugs to cope and to just numb everything. My boyfriend was also a gang member and had a list of offences as long as your arm. We were both pretty well-known to the
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The Panel: The story of Angela and Mark*
Josh Brightmore - 3rd February 2023
“It’s only now that they’ve gone that we’re re-discovering all these little notes from them. It’s so heart-warming”. Talking to Angela and Mark about their first foster-child – Alex* – I’m struck by the warmth they still have for them, and while it wasn’t always a bed of roses, they both seem to be incredibly enriched by the experience – both the good and the bad. I had expected Angela and Mark to tell me that the process of finally being approved as foster carers – by a panel including a previously fostered person, foster carers, local authority staff and staff from Eastern Fostering Services – was at least a little bit nerve-wracking. But Angela assures me that this wasn’t
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Fostering: A child’s view – L’s story
James Roderick - 27th January 2023
I’m L and I’m 15. I’ve been in foster care since I was 8. I moved around quite a bit, mostly cos the foster carers I had didn’t feel they could keep me safe. Whatever that means. When I was 13 I found out that my mum was pregnant. I worried about what would happen to the baby. My brother. I wondered if he would have nice carers who would look after him. Would I be able to see him? Or would he be adopted? All these thoughts were just going round and round in my head. Then one day my social worker took me to McDonalds. That usually means bad news, like I need to move again or some
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Fostering: A child’s view – H’s story
Lucy Stevens - 20th January 2023
Here’s the thing about me. I need to know what’s happening. I don’t like change; I don’t like SPONTANEITY. I like to know what I’m doing and when. If things suddenly change or if something happens that I’m not expecting, it makes me feel really really scared. I don’t like people touching me or getting in my space. When they do it makes me want to break free. I don’t like it when people lie to me or talk in riddles. Just say the truth and explain it properly. I love reading. I’m not interested in my phone or games, TikTok or Snapchat. I just love to read. My foster carer, Sue, says that is why I know so much.
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Fostering: a child’s view – B’s story
Lucy Stevens - 13th January 2023
I’m B and I’m 12. When I lived with my mum, I worried about her a lot and I started to get really scared about leaving her. I would miss school so I could always be there just in case. Things got pretty bad and my mum just stayed in bed all day and drank quite a bit at night. She would get really angry and cry a lot and one day she ended up taking a load of pills and saying she wanted to die. I had to look after her and my little sister. It felt good to be needed but I was also really angry. Like I was either feeling sick from worrying or sick from being
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Fostering: a child’s view – J’s story.
Lucy Stevens - 6th January 2023
My name’s J. I’m 15. I can’t live with my mum any more. I don’t really want to talk about it but let’s just say I can’t relax at home. My dad and step-mum have a new baby and no room for me. I wouldn’t want to live there anyway. You don’t want to be somewhere you’re not wanted do you? So I’m just kipping on mates’ sofas until their parents have enough of me and it’s time to move on. I can do what I want, when I want. No-one notices. I’m supposed to be having my mocks at the moment. I like school actually. I like learning new stuff, like how things work. Science stuff. But outside of
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New year, new role?
Lucy Stevens - 3rd January 2023
Could 2022 be the year you start your fostering journey? At this time of year many people begin to re- evaluate and start to think about a change of direction, perhaps hoping to pursue a role which will bring more meaning and satisfaction to their lives. If you have ever thought about fostering, 2022 could be the time to pursue a new and rewarding vocation which could help change the life of a child for the better and bring you associated rewards. With the numbers of children in care significantly increasing (now over 80,000 in England according to Government statistics) we need more caring and compassionate foster carers who can welcome children into their homes and provide them with the
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Foster carers needed in Essex, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire
Lucy Stevens - 30th December 2022
Local children need local foster carers In the UK, there are now more children than ever in need of foster carers. Children in Essex, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire are no exception. Our children need local foster carers who can keep them in education, in local communities and near to the people who are important to them. Which children need foster carers? There are children in every age group who are in need of a nurturing foster carer. From young sibling groups, teenagers, mother and babies, children with additional needs and unaccompanied children. The list goes on. By far the most typical children are sibling groups and young people between the ages of 10 to 16. What does it take to foster?
Tags: Cambridgeshire, Essex, Essex fostering, foster care, foster carer, fostering, fostering agency, fostering allowance, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering in Essex, fostering in Suffolk, fostering money, fostering qualifications, fostering service, fostering Suffolk, local fostering, mother and baby fostering, Suffolk, Suffolk fostering
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Local children need local Foster Carers
Lucy Stevens - 27th December 2022
Fostering shortfall According to the Fostering Network, children in the East of England need approximately 700 additional foster carers. Moreover these children are paying a hefty price for the shortfall. The importance of being local Many children in foster care have a powerful need to be near the familiar. Often, school or friendship groups might be the only positive thing in their lives. Therefore, when children are taken away from both family and friends or school they are devastated. "We believe that children in foster care deserve a sensitive matching with carers," says Eleanor Newman of Eastern Fostering Services. "However, we are finding it increasingly hard to match children because of a lack of carers. This means we are unable
Tags: Cambridgeshire, do foster carers get paid?, Essex, foster carers, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering locally, fostering qualifications, fostering Suffolk, local fostering, Peterborough, Southend, Suffolk
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Fostering at Christmas
Lucy Stevens - 23rd December 2022
For many children, Christmas is a magical time. They are at fever pitch over the sparkling lights, the decorations, sweets and presents, and the prospect of Father Christmas. Christmas consolidates that feeling of being loved and safe in the heart of a family who is in celebratory mood. But for many children and young people living in foster care, Christmas is a really difficult time. A darker side of Christmas. The traditions that so define this time of year can act as triggers for children in foster care who have had adverse childhood experiences. These triggers could be anything from the sight and smell of alcohol to loud music or noises, laughter and booming voices. Sensorial experiences like these can
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