Foster Care Fortnight 2022
Lucy Stevens - 31st March 2022
What is Foster Care Fortnight 2022? Whether you're invested in the fostering process already, just starting out on your journey or you're curious about fostering, Foster Care Fortnight 2022 is just the ticket for you to explore this community more and make the most of it. Foster Care Fortnight 2022 is, as you'd imagine, a fortnight dedicated to raising awareness of fostering across the UK. Taking place annually, each campaign is delivered by leading fostering charity The Fostering Network. Created back in 1997, the awareness campaign aims to shed light on the need for more foster carers. From disabled children to siblings, unaccompanied asylum seeking children and older children, the campaign covers every area of fostering. Why is Foster Care
Tags: Eastern Fostering Services, foster care, foster care fortnight, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering Suffolk
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Fostering good habits: the importance of record keeping in fostering.
Lucy Stevens - 8th March 2022
All foster carers who care for children through Eastern Fostering Services need to write a weekly report on the child/children they are fostering. These records are typed, protected with a password and sent to the Supervising Social Worker every week. These records are sent on to Local Authority Social Workers enabling them to fully understand what life is like for the children and how they can best support them at any given time. Why are weekly recordings needed? Good and regular record keeping is important for many reasons: Regular recordings as to the progress of the child in many areas of their development allow professionals to identify and advocate for the needs of the child. They may allow fostering professionals
Tags: applying to be a foster carer, becoming a foster carer, Cambridgeshire, Eastern Fostering Services, foster care, fostering, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering Suffolk
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What Does It Mean To Be A Foster Parent?
Lucy Stevens - 3rd March 2022
Foster parenting in the UK can often seem like a complex and difficult thing to get your head around. From whether you can even foster in the first place (hint: check our FAQs and you might be surprised) to what it actually means emotionally to be a foster parent. To foster a child or children is a wonderful thing; not only are you providing love, care and support but you're giving young people the chance to have a stable and enriched upbringing, something they may have been lacking previously. So what are the main responsibilities when it comes to fostering a child? What does it mean to be a foster parent? There are challenges with looking after and raising any
Tags: applying to be a foster carer, becoming a foster carer, Cambridgeshire, Eastern Fostering Services, foster care, fostering, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering Suffolk, Suffolk
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Could you foster a child with Autism?
Veronica Jones - 23rd February 2022
Fostering a child with Autism (Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)) can be an amazing and rewarding experience, but can come with certain challenges and it can therefore sometimes prove difficult to find foster carers who understand the best way to look after children with autism. What is ASD? Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition, which is characterised by difficulties with social interaction and communication and often includes repetitive behaviours. However, because autism is a spectrum condition it affects children in different ways. So, whilst some children will need intensive support others may just need clearer communication and a little longer to do things. Whilst no two children with autism are the same, there are some common characteristics including – Difficulty reading other
Tags: applying to be a foster carer, becoming a foster carer, Cambridgeshire, Eastern Fostering Services, foster care, fostering, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering Suffolk, Suffolk
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Can I foster if I…?
Lucy Stevens - 8th February 2022
Last week we looked at some of the common misconceptions that people hold about who can and who can’t foster. This week we’ll look at some other things prospective foster carers ask us when they’re trying to decide if they are suited to fostering. Can I foster if I haven’t had my own children? You don’t need to have had your own children to be able to foster. It’s clear that having experience of caring for children and knowledge of child development is crucial when it comes to fostering. However, people gain experience of children and young people in many ways: through work, through volunteering, through family and friends. Can I foster if I have had a difficult childhood? Yes!
Tags: applying to be a foster carer, becoming a foster carer, Cambridgeshire, Eastern Fostering Services, foster care, fostering, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering Suffolk, Suffolk
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Can I foster if I…
Lucy Stevens - 3rd February 2022
There are still many myths surrounding fostering which we would really like to dispel. In this week’s blog, we’ll look at some of the personal circumstances that you may think are an obstacle to fostering but which, in fact, don’t have to be. Can I foster if I don’t own my own home? In short, yes you can! Fostering providers will want to ensure that, wherever you live and whether you own or rent your property, you have stability. Many foster carers rent their properties rather than own them. What is more important is that you have a spare, dedicated bedroom available for fostering. Can I foster if I have a disability? Having a disability does not have to prevent
Tags: applying to be a foster carer, becoming a foster carer, Cambridgeshire, foster care, fostering, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering Suffolk, Suffolk
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Am I too old to foster?
Lucy Stevens - 28th January 2022
Here at Eastern Fostering Services, we often hear people say, “I’d love to foster but I’m too old!” But are you? The age guidelines for fostering state that a foster carer needs to be above the age of 21, these guidelines tend to be set by individual fostering providers so it is always worth checking. It’s important to know that there are actually no legal limits set on age, so in theory anyone over the age of 18 can foster. There is no upper age limit for fostering. When assessing people’s capacity to foster, what is more important than age is the life experience that a propsective foster carer can bring to the table. If a fostering provider rejects an
Tags: applying to be a foster carer, becoming a foster carer, Eastern Fostering Services, fostering, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering Suffolk
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Fostering trans young people
Lucy Stevens - 3rd June 2021
7 things trans young people need from their foster carers We know that children and young people in foster care are highly vulnerable and need their foster carers to support and advocate for them. We also know that trans young people are vulnerable to discrimination and oppression. So how should carers prepare for fostering trans young people? What should foster carers know about what it's like to be a trans young person? One could say that generally our society does not treat young people well. Teenagers are often treated with suspicion and criticism and a degree of contempt. For young people in foster care, these attitudes are largely exacerbated. When it comes to fostering trans young people, the challenges can
Tags: foster care, fostering, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering Suffolk, fostering trans young people, how can I foster?, how do I become a foster carer, how to foster, LGBT fostering, trans, transgender
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Fostering: the simple things change lives
Lucy Stevens - 26th February 2021
Lai and Barrie, Essex We would really recommend fostering. If you are thinking of making the first step, we can testify that fostering changes lives. We took our first step 6 years ago; over that time we have looked after a range of children. Our first child was a teenager. Our role was really to prepare her for independence. She is a lovely girl and just needed gentle guidance and a loving, non-judgemental family. She stayed with us for a year and made so much progress in that time. She continues to be a close friend to our daughter and now has a good job in a hospital and a child of her own! What’s it all about? For us,
Tags: fostering, fostering agency, fostering Essex, fostering support, independent fostering agencies
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Fostering – Taking the high road and the low road
Lucy Stevens - 10th February 2021
A foster carer’s perspective The UK is suffering a severe shortage of foster carers. One of the many reasons for this is that people generally don’t have a full understanding of what fostering looks like. So, why do people foster? What do they love about it? Where do they find the joy in it? We’ve asked some of our foster carers across Essex, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire what they love about fostering and what they find difficult. This week we’ll be hearing from Julie, Nigel and Lesley. Julie, Foster Carer, Suffolk I love fostering and get real enjoyment and satisfaction from bringing out the best in a child. Fostering makes a huge difference in the life of a child but these
Tags: foster carer perspective, Fostering Cambridgeshire, fostering Essex, fostering Suffolk, independent fostering agency
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