The Jungle in Calais – Eastern Fostering Services
Lucy Stevens - 8th November 2017
This instalment of the blog should really come with a disclaimer. Somewhere here in bold text should be words to this effect: *The actions of this blogger in no way constitute a statutory requirement for the fostering of asylum seeking children* Check. The objective of this blog is to give a detailed account of the fostering application process and I promise that this is what I’ll do, but I’m taking a little detour this week, a voluntary detour, via Calais… An early start It’s one o’clock in the morning when a group of us, including Eastern Fostering Services (EFS) agency director Eleanor Vanner, head off for three days’ volunteering at the camp known as
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Safer Foster Caring – Eastern Fostering Services
Lucy Stevens - 8th November 2017
Blog Corner Safer Caring Safer caring is the means by which foster carers can ensure the safety and well-being of children and young people. Because the business of foster caring happens in the home of the carer, safer caring also aims to protect the well-being of carers and their families. It covers a broad range of themes, such as forming healthy attachments, dealing with difficult behaviour appropriately, ensuring the protection of each member of the household and minimising the risk of allegations made against carers. ‘But what does that mean in practise?’ Jim and I ask our assessor, Stef. The Safer Caring guidance is provided by The Fostering Network but each agency will have their own plan
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The Fostering Approval Panel – Eastern Fostering Services
Lucy Stevens - 8th November 2017
Today we had our last information gathering session with Stef, our assessor. Next week she’ll have the first draft of the Form F for us to look at and comment on. It feels like we’re coming to the end of something, but I know that it is in fact the start line we’re approaching. There is a huge blank canvas stretching before us and I am at once excited and terrified. There is of course one thing to get through first – panel. Appearing in front of the approval panel is a daunting experience for anyone. For me it is no different despite the fact that I have served as a panel member. Now that the information
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Fostering Application – Judgement Day – Eastern Fostering Services
Lucy Stevens - 8th November 2017
Blog Corner Judgement day It’s a beautiful, sunny Wednesday morning. We’re suited and booted and on our way to panel to be approved as foster carers. We’re meeting Stef (our Form F assessor) at a café near to where the panel is taking place, to have a little run through the potential questions we can expect. As someone who has served on the panel, I have a view on the questions I might have asked us if the roles were reversed. And I have a plan. “Right,” I say. “Let’s have a run through.” “Isn’t that what we’re doing with Stef?” Jim asks. “Yes, but I suspect that we’re going to need some extra
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One Child every 20 Minutes – Eastern Fostering Services
Lucy Stevens - 8th November 2017
Every day this week, we'll be posting our favourite 20 minutes of the fostering year. #FCF2016 Today we kick off with one of our carers, Fay, who says "My favourite 20 minutes was watching my two boys (who came into the country as unaccompanied minors, seeking asylum) receive a Jack Petchey award for which they’ve been chosen for assimilating into school, tackling education with positivity and working hard to learn English. A proud moment for all of us. Well done boys!"
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Fostering A Second Child – Eastern Fostering Services
Lucy Stevens - 8th November 2017
On day 3 of Foster Care Fortnight, one of our carers Yoli reflects on her favourite 20 minutes of fostering, a moment of reciprocation: "My favourite 20 minutes happened when we had just started to foster a second child. This was a really difficult period and everyone was unsettled. One morning, the child we had been looking after for 18 months took the time to seek me out and find out whether I was ok. I felt supported and cared for. I felt that we were all in it together."
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Precious Memories I Will Treasure Forever – Eastern Fostering Services
Lucy Stevens - 8th November 2017
1 child comes into the UK care system every 20 minutes One of our carers Tracey shares her favourite 20 minutes of the fostering year: Christmas night, after presents have been opened and stomachs are full - all three sons together for the first time in 2 years, sitting at the dining table teaching C a card game and how to rap a new song they'd learnt. Everything just felt right. C giggling uncontrollably and the boys happy to be home. Precious memories I will treasure forever.
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Fostering – The Waiting Game – Eastern Fostering Services
Lucy Stevens - 8th November 2017
It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. For those of you who were following my family’s journey into foster care, you’ll know that we were approved as foster carers at the end of April this year, and I’ve been indulging in a little radio silence since then. The truth is that on the surface not much has changed; we are still awaiting a child. On the other hand, as I hardly need to point out, so much around us has changed beyond recognition, which has brought every one of our motivations into sharp relief. We all know that there is a desperate need for foster carers and one might be forgiven for assuming that as soon as you’re approved
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Asylum Seeking Children – Eastern Fostering Services
Lucy Stevens - 8th November 2017
We’ve all seen it on the news. We’ve watched the exodus of men, women and children with a mounting sense of horror and helplessness. We know that there are thousands upon thousands of children displaced from their homes and everything they’ve ever known. We know many of these children are on their own, traumatised, bewildered and afraid. We live in the age of information, where, from the comfort of our armchairs we can witness the plight of others. Never have we been so armed with the images, the soundtrack of suffering which could allow us to put ourselves relatively effortlessly into the shoes of others. And yet I am struggling to conjure the words to explain how it feels to
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The Home Office Screening Interview – Eastern Fostering Services
Lucy Stevens - 8th November 2017
The Big Screen I’m misleading you a little this week because I’m not going to be blogging about the cinema. Though what I’m attempting to describe was at times as surreal to me as something you might glimpse on the big screen. This week’s blog is about the Home Office screening interview that all children seeking asylum in the UK need to attend. Often this screening interview takes place at the point of entry. But quite often it happens some time after the child has arrived in the country, particularly if the child has been discovered by authorities somewhere other than at the border. Our fostered child’s interview came five weeks after he came to live with us.The purpose of
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