#ThisIsFostering
Lucy Stevens - 8th April 2020
This young person has been with her foster carers for 6 years Every year the Fostering Network runs a campaign to raise awareness of fostering: Foster Care Fortnight. This year's theme is #ThisIsFostering. At Eastern Fostering Services, we asked our carers to show us visually what fostering looks like for them. As photographs started to pour in, we felt so moved by the images of family, togetherness and love that they revealed. #ThisIsFostering: family A photograph can speak a thousand words, but what is behind the photograph? The pictures that we are featuring come with their unique backstory. The couple featured in the photograph above have been caring for their foster daughter for 6 years. They have seen her through
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The Virtual Reality of fostering
Lucy Stevens - 26th February 2020
Virtual reality and fostering, why? Independent agency, Eastern Fostering Services are using virtual reality in their fostering training. But why? And how? In reality, fostering is hard. Foster carers are expected to be able to cope with a range of challenges within their own home. Children come into foster care with all manner of grief, pain and damage and this can manifest itself in many ways. Virtually anything can happen... Challenging behavioursAttachment issues or disordersPost Traumatic Stress Disorder AnxietyDepressionSelf harmDrug and alcohol misuseViolence or aggressionSleep disordersMental health problemsConfusionDelayed developmentHypervigilance The list goes on. Indeed, foster carers need to be able to cope with whatever fostering throws at them. Many foster carers will say that they are prepared for any eventuality!
Tags: Eastern Fostering Services, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering Suffolk, fostering training
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‘Fostering has humbled us’ – could you give a child a second chance at life?
Lucy Stevens - 17th January 2020
Every child deserves to have a safe base and to grow up in a loving, supporting environment which nurtures their confidence and self-esteem. But in the UK alone, a new child is bought into care needing a foster family every 20 minutes. In the UK, the number of children waiting to be fostered is rapidly growing. In March 2019, 54,870 out of the 75,420 children in care away from home were living with foster families in England, but fostering services need approximately 7,220 more families to open up their homes to children in need. Could you help? East Anglian-based Eastern Fostering Services (EFS) is currently looking for families, couples and individuals to foster in the region. The small team makes
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The Fostering Panel: step 5 to becoming a foster carer
Lucy Stevens - 1st October 2019
What is the fostering panel? Once your fostering assessment is complete and the report known as the Form F has been submitted, you will get a date to appear at panel. You are now well on your way to becoming a foster carer. The Fostering Panel are a group of people who will put you at ease. We always maintain that fostering applicants should not be brought to panel if there is any doubt around their ability and motivation to foster. For many prospective foster carers, the fostering panel can be a daunting prospect. However, the panel at Eastern Fostering Services are all keen to approve foster carers. As a result, they are there to ensure you are well prepared
Tags: becoming a foster carer, fostering assessment, fostering panel
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The Fostering Assessment – Step 4 in becoming a foster carer
Lucy Stevens - 16th September 2019
What is the fostering assessment for? Your Fostering Assessment will be carried out by one of our friendly, experienced assessors. Once you have completed your application form and we have carried out the necessary checks, we will begin your fostering assessment. A fostering assessor will be assigned to you and your family. All of our assessors are friendly, keen to put you at your ease and experienced in producing fostering assessment reports. The job of your assessor is to provide a detailed report on you, your partner and your family. This report will look at your life experiences, motivation, strengths and qualities . It should also flag up training opportunities. In addition to this, the report will give your fostering
Tags: becoming a foster carer, foster carer, fostering, fostering assessment, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering form f, fostering Suffolk
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The Fostering Application form
Lucy Stevens - 12th September 2019
The next step in becoming a foster carer. How do I proceed with the Fostering Application after the home visit? Completing the Fostering Application form is not difficult...just a little time consuming. Last week we shared a blog about the home visit. Once you have had your home visit and you, your family and the fostering provider are keen to go ahead with your fostering application, you are ready for the next stage of the process. The fostering application form. What information does the fostering application form require? We need quite a bit of information from you in order to proceed with your fostering application. The assessment will consist of information gathering both behind the scenes and directly from you
Tags: becoming a foster carer, becoming a foster family, becoming a fostering family, fostering, fostering application, fostering assessment, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering Suffolk, how do I become a foster carer
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How do I become a foster carer?
Lucy Stevens - 4th September 2019
Step 2: The home visit Once you have done your research and have decided you want to become a foster carer, you can arrange a home visit. An important part of your journey to become a foster carer is to ensure you are well informed. To this end, the home visit is an excellent opportunity to ask any questions you have about fostering and becoming a foster carer. I want to become a foster carer.What questions should I ask? Deciding to become a foster carer can open up all sorts of questions and worries. Therefore it is important that the fostering service you are speaking to are open and responsive to your questions. You can find a list of the
Tags: applying to be a foster carer, becoming a foster carer, becoming a foster family, becoming a fostering family, essex foster care, Essex fostering, fostering agencies near me, fostering application, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering children, fostering Suffolk, how do I become a foster carer, Suffolk fostering
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5 steps to becoming a foster carer
Lucy Stevens - 28th August 2019
Step 1 - Register your interest Thinking of becoming a foster carer? How do you find out which fostering providers to approach? As with anything in life, when it comes to becoming a foster carer, you should do your research. As a foster carer, you will need excellent support so you should look for local fostering providers who offer quality, 24 hour support. Smaller agencies are often better placed to offer quality, tailored support. The Fostering Network have a tool on their website that allows you to search for local fostering providers. Moreover the internet is an excellent source of information. However, you need to know what you are looking for when deciding which fostering provider might best suit you
Tags: becoming a foster carer, becoming a foster family, becoming a fostering family, foster care, fostering, fostering agency, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering in Peterborough, fostering near me, fostering service, fostering Suffolk
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Independent Fostering Agencies: right to reply
Lucy Stevens - 27th August 2019
On Tuesday 27th August, the BBC covered a news story relating to fostering, and in particular, to the role of independent fostering agencies in fostering. Radio 4’s Today programme devoted a large swathe of their air time to the subject and a written article can be found on the BBC News website. Eastern Fostering Services, as a small, independent fostering agency, were disappointed to find that the independent providers were yet again vilified as cash counting mercenaries who are only working in the fostering sector for financial gain. Such broad-based assumption feeds in to the negative associations that are held in relation to fostering more widely. The private and public should be able to work together to provide the best
Tags: fostering, fostering agencies, fostering agencies near me, fostering Essex, fostering service, fostering Suffolk, independent fostering agencies, private sector fostering
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Fostering children: a new PATH?
Lucy Stevens - 15th July 2019
Fostering should empower children to make a better future for themselves. When fostering children, how do we ensure we keep children at the heart of everything we do? Many foster carers are highly driven to provide child-centric care to the children they are fostering. This takes many forms from therapeutic fostering, advocacy, support in education and providing boundaries. And let's not forget good old fashioned love and nurturing. All foster carers however need to work within the system and its associated requirements and constraints. It is within this arena that many foster carers see the child-centred approach turn on its heels and disappear. Is a child centred approach to fostering children always adopted in meetings with professionals? many foster carers
Tags: fostering, fostering children, fostering in Suffolk, fostering Suffolk, looked after children, Suffolk fostering
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