Child Welfare

Holiday location ideas for foster families
All children deserve to have a childhood filled with the best experiences – especially if they have had a difficult start in…

How to inspire creativity in your foster child
Earlier this month marked National Storytelling Week, which was run by the National Literacy Trust in partnership with Amazon….

How do I build trust with my foster child?
Children and young people that enter foster care often come from homes and families of origin that were/are unstable and chaotic….

What is the link between being care-experienced and young parents?
Children who enter foster care often experience hardship and challenges before, during and after they leave the care system….

How fostering can affect carers with existing families
Fostering is open to people of all backgrounds, family structures and walks of life if they have a spare room and are…

What to know about access to a foster child’s records
A child who is in long term foster care, and is preparing to leave, may want to access their records of their…

The rights of foster children
Children’s rights being acknowledged and adhered to are important to all children, especially to those who are living in foster care. Here’s…

The evolution of children’s rights in Great Britain
Although children’s rights as we know them have only been around for about seven decades, people have been creating laws, organisations and…

What are care leavers’ rights?
If you are fostering children and young people on a long-term basis, or are considering long-term fostering, you might be wondering what…

What is the process of a child being referred to social services and entering care?
The process in which a vulnerable child enters foster care involves various components and different groups of people – from the social…

What is parentification of children?
Many children who enter foster care come from backgrounds and upbringings where their parents and other adults failed to meet their needs…

Keeping your foster child safe from county lines
County lines refers to the act of criminals exploiting young people into carrying out illegal activity….

How to support your foster child during the first night in their new home
The first night that a foster child spends in their new home is often the most difficult – not just for them,…

The first week in a foster home – what you need to know
Moving into a new home and a new setting can be a challenging time for children in foster care, whether it is…

Every Child Matters – what is it, and what does it mean for foster carers?
In 2003, the government introduced the ‘Every Child Matters’ initiative, which seeks to ensure that all children in the UK are safe…

Foster care – are other adults allowed in the home?
Whether you are planning to foster as a single person, or as part of a couple, you might be wondering if there…

Should foster children have contact with their families of origin?
As a foster carer, you can expect the child or children you are looking after to have occasional contact with their biological…

The work of Children in Need to help disadvantaged children
Children in Need (CIN) supports projects for disadvantaged children up and down the country….

Getting your foster children into the Christmas spirit!
Christmas is a time for celebration, coming together and festivities. However, for foster children, it can also be a challenging time of…

The impacts of entering the care system
Entering foster care can be life changing for children and young people who cannot live with their families of origin….

Opportunities for children and young people in care
If you are fostering a child, or considering becoming a foster carer, you might be wondering about the role that organisations such…

History of foster care in the UK
You probably know about how fostering works in the UK – but do you know how long it has been around for?…

The truth about children and young people in foster care
Many misconceptions surround children and young people living in foster care. Not having the best start in life can lead to their…

What you need to know about hyperlexia
Hyperlexia is a self-taught ability to read well before the age of five – usually when the child is two or three…

Supporting a foster child with communication difficulties
When fostering a child, you might find they may have a different way of communication compared to what you are used to,…

Supporting a partially sighted foster child
When looking to provide foster care in Stockport, or other areas of the North West, you might find yourself fostering a child…

How to support a child with dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is a learning disability that affects someone’s ability to carry out mathematics, due to difficulty in reading numbers….

Supporting a foster child with autism
Autism is a lifelong developmental condition that affects the ways that someone communicates, processes and interacts with the world….

Factors to consider when matching foster carers with children
If you are thinking of fostering, you may be wondering about the matching process. You may question how the fostering agency or…

How to support a foster child with dyspraxia
Dyspraxia, also known as developmental co-ordination disorder, is a neurological condition affecting motor skills and general movement….

World Mental Health Day – supporting foster children
Last week, the 10th October played host to World Mental Health Day, which seeks to raise awareness of mental health and maintaining…

How to support a foster child with ADHD
ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a condition that affects the way a person behaves, feels and thinks….

How to support a foster child with dyslexia
Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects somebody’s reading, writing and spelling, as well as memory and organisation….

How schools can support children in foster care
For foster children, school can be a challenging time. Whether they have had to move schools as well as home, or have…

Transferring between foster agencies
There are numerous factors contributing to a foster carer (or carers) choosing to switch between fostering agencies, or from a local authority…

Books about mental health for children under 12
Taking care of one’s mental wellbeing is important, and this is especially important to teach foster children as they learn to navigate…

Challenging stigmas surrounding foster children
If you are fostering, or thinking of becoming a foster carer, you might be concerned about how the children you are looking…

Why are there a lack of foster carers from non-white backgrounds?
Between 2020 and 2021, 80% of newly approved foster carers were white, with 15% from non-white backgrounds and the remaining 5% being…

Support for young people leaving foster care
If you foster or are considering fostering, you might be wondering what happens when your child reaches their late teenage years, and…

Supporting LGBTQ+ foster children
There may be a case during your foster care journey where you are fostering a child that is either already part of…

The importance of fostering sibling sets
Entering foster care is a tough time for any child to experience, however it can be harder when they have siblings….

Helping your child start school
When children enter foster care, they will need to adjust to a new routine, especially if they are moving schools or are…

How to prepare foster children for leaving care
At some point during your foster care journey, the child or children you are fostering will leave your care to enter the…

Children’s rights in the UK
Children’s rights refer to the basic rights and freedoms of those under the age of 18….
Understanding visits with birth parents
You may have wondered about visits between foster kids and their biological families. At Beacon Fostering, this is a topic we get…