The academic year has come to an end and what a school year it has been. The summer holidays are here at last and we want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate all the achievements of some of our young people over the last year.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this school year has been like no other; home schooling, covid tests, class bubbles isolating and older children having to wear masks in school. It has been a challenging school year for all children but for young people in foster care it has been even more unsettling and difficult.

Foster carers do an amazing job of looking after children and young people. A good foster carer will be as committed to the children in their care as much on the good days as they are on the challenging days. Foster carers work hard to help vulnerable children to heal and move on from previous trauma, they are a strong and stable presence in the lives of children who need to know there is a caring adult in their life who will always support them, no matter what. Foster carers spend a lot of time and energy looking out for the mental wellbeing and happiness of the children in their care – but who is looking after the foster carers?

This year Foster Care Fortnight is taking place between the 10th and 23rd May. Foster Care Fortnight is an annual campaign by The Fostering Network. The aim of Foster Care Fortnight is the raise the profile of foster care and to show how fostering can transform the lives of children and young people across the UK. The theme for Foster Care Fortnight this year is Why We Care. The Fostering Network are encouraging everyone in the fostering community to share why they foster and the reasons why they care. Our newest foster carer, N, has shared the reasons why she fosters in this blog post. We hope by reading her thoughts on why she cares you will be encouraged to think about fostering and feel inspired to help children in need in your local area.

It has been twelve months since the first national lockdown was announced and the UK population were asked to stay at home. With the first anniversary of lockdown prompting the country to look back on all the events of the last year, we wanted to take this opportunity to reflect and acknowledge the hard work of our team of foster carers, social workers and support staff here at Focus Foster Care. We are also looking forward…

Fostering is so much more than just a job. Foster carers do not choose this career as just a means to pay the bills, they do it because they have a passion to provide love and support to children in need. One of our foster carers has described fostering as a “feeling you get deep within your heart” and she is right. Foster carers are inspiring and selfless and they put their own heart on the line to help heal the hearts of the children who come into their care. It takes a certain type of person to be a foster carer and fostering will not be a viable career choice for everyone. However, if you are interested in becoming a foster carer and want to know more about what a career in fostering is like, this post is full of useful information.

February 1st – 7th is Children’s Mental Health week. This week is organised by Place 2 Be charity whose aim is to help children suffering from various mental health conditions by providing education, counselling and support. The charity also provide parents, carers and school staff with information, guidance and training to enable them to effectively offer support to vulnerable children. The theme for Children’s Mental Health week 2021, is ‘Express Yourself’. Children and young people do not always know how to express how they are feeling, sometimes they may struggle to find the words or the desire to talk about their emotions and thoughts. A trusted adult can help children find ways to express their feelings and foster carers play a key role in helping vulnerable children and young people learn how to do this.

Are you considering a career in fostering but are unsure if you have the relevant skills? Although it may be an advantage, a person is not required to have worked in the childcare sector specifically to become a foster carer. There are many jobs that will provide individuals with the transferable skills and a foundation of experience and knowledge necessary to begin the fostering journey. Many professions will equip people with skills that can be used to successfully support and nurture children through difficult periods in their lives as well as the other aspects of the role including working as part of a team and keeping detailed written records. Read on to learn whether your current job role could help you realise your dream to foster a vulnerable child.

Foster carers continue to be urgently needed as we begin this New Year. There are thousands of children in need of foster care across the UK and the pandemic continues to put vulnerable children at risk. Becoming a foster carer during the pandemic is possible and we encourage you to get in touch with our independent fostering agency if you are considering a career in fostering. During lockdown last year our newest team member N* made her initial enquiry into fostering with Focus. Whilst many businesses and industries have been put on hold, people working in the fostering sector have not stopped throughout all the challenges of the pandemic and we welcomed N* as our newest foster carer in July. If you are passionate about helping children to achieve their potential and believe every child deserves a happy childhood, we want to hear from you. To put your mind at rest and to tell you all about becoming a foster carer during the pandemic, we have an interview with N. N went through the whole process to becoming a foster parent in the early months of the pandemic and has shared her experience, right from the first enquiry through to attending our virtual panel. This interview will show you it is possible to become a foster carer during the pandemic and will hopefully encourage you to get in touch with us today if you are thinking about fostering.

2020 has been a life changing year for everyone. Whether it be through contracting COVID-19, losing a loved one to the virus, facing financial struggles, battling loneliness, missing family and friends or balancing working from home with home-schooling – the pandemic has forced us all to adapt and face some of our greatest challenges. Yet here we are, the end of 2020 is here and you are still here reading this. You’ve made it through one of the toughest years in recent history. It’s important to reflect on everything that has happened but then it will be time to look ahead to 2021 and the things you can do to make a positive difference in the new year.