The Fostering Network recently released data showing that there is currently a need for over
9000 new fostering families across the UK. A lack of foster carers can lead to siblings in need of
foster care becoming separated. If you want to become a foster carer, have you considered the
possibility of fostering sibling groups? In this blog post, we are sharing all the information you
need about fostering siblings. With your help, more brothers and sisters can be kept together
during their time in foster care.
Meet The Team – Lucy, Supervising Social Worker
Welcome back to our latest post in our ‘Meet The Team’ series. These blog posts are here to help new and aspiring foster carers get to know all the team here at Focus Foster Care. We are a small agency but our team is made up of hard working and dedicated people. Recently, a new supervising social worker joined the team. Without further ado, let’s hand you over to Lucy…
Enjoying the summer holidays as a foster family
Happy summer holidays! The six-week summer break is a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with the children in your care, to make special memories and to have some much-needed time to rest and recuperate as a family, after a busy year of school. However, as in many situations, the summer holidays can look a little different for foster families.
5 Resources To Help Parents and Carers Prevent Accidents In The Home – Child Safety Week
Helping families stop serious accidents lies at the heart of Child Safety Week, an annual awareness campaign run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT). As our foster families care for children from 0-18 years, it is important that they know how to prevent any accidents from occurring in the home.
As a fostering agency, we care deeply about child safety and want to provide our foster carers with as much advice as possible. The theme for this year’s Child Safety Week is Safety In Mind. Accidents are less likely to occur when parents and carers know the risks and know what changes they need to make around the home to keep babies and children safe.
Busting Myths About Fostering and the LGBTQ+ Community
Happy Pride month! Pride is a month of celebration for the LGBTQI+ community and as a fostering agency we like to show our support. This year we are marking the occasion by sharing some facts about the fostering and LGBT+ community and we are also sharing some useful resources for parents and carers raising children who identify as LGBTQ+.
The Importance of Fostering Communities – Foster Care Fortnight 2022
Every May, The Fostering Network run their annual fostering awareness campaign and each year
there is a different theme. This year, the theme is fostering communities. It takes more than one
person to help a child in need of foster care. In fact, fostering communities are needed to make sure
children, their birth families and their foster carers all get the support they need. Here at Focus
Foster Care, we have a tight-knit community of foster carers and our team here at our independent
fostering agency. We believe in the life-changing power of foster care and work hard as an agency to
support everyone in our community.
Meet the team – Jess, Office Administrator
Welcome back to our Meet The Team series. Earlier this month our office administrator Jess left us pursue the next stage in her career. We wish Jess good luck in her new venture and we are happy to welcome our new office administrator, also called Jess! So, without further adieu, let’s get to know Jess a little better.
Everything you need to know about becoming a foster carer in the UK
Have you been considering fostering for a while but are unsure of exactly how to become a foster carer? We understand, there are many myths and misinformation surrounding fostering and we have written this blog post to share some facts. We are a growing independent fostering agency in the West Midlands and we are looking for more caring and committed people to join our team. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about becoming a foster carer and joining our agency.
3 benefits of spending time in nature for children and families – Healthy Bodies = Happy Minds
This year we have launched something very exciting here at Focus Foster Care. As of 2022, all of our approved foster carers will receive an annual membership to either the National Trust or English Heritage. Whether you have been fostering with us right from the start, or hope to join our fostering team in the future, if you are an approved Focus foster carer, this is a gift to you.
How to talk about internet safety with children and young people – Safer Internet Day 2022
This year Safer Internet Day will take place on February 8th. Safer Internet Day is a day to raise awareness of internet safety and to provide children and adults with information on how to remain safe in the online world. The theme for 2022 is ‘All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online’.
Safer internet day is celebrated in over 100 different countries and is coordinated here in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre. The purpose of the annual Safer Internet Day is to raise awareness of the dangers of the internet and encourage people of all ages to navigate the digital world responsibly, respectfully and creatively. To add to this year’s conversation, we are sharing tips on how you can discuss internet safety with the children and young people in your care.