Fostering at Christmas – success stories

Being a foster carer at Christmas can come with a variety of experiences and surprises.

Many children who enter foster care have little to no experience of celebrating the festive season, so it can be difficult for them to adjust to receiving presents and having a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.

If you are fostering or considering fostering, you might be wondering what to expect with your foster family at Christmas. Here are some case studies and testimonies from foster parents in the North West.

New routines

Phil’s story of fostering at Christmas highlights the true meaning of the event, and the challenges that a foster parent can expect to encounter at this time of year.

Having fostered a four-year-old boy in November, the festivities and changes in routine that came with them deeply unsettled the child. Phil learned that to avoid dysregulating the boy’s emotional state, he and the rest of the family would have to find a way to maintain a sense of predictability, from keeping meals the same to unwrapping gifts over weeks rather than in one day.

Holiday respite care

Nicola fosters children on a respite basis with her husband Stephen, taking care of them during the holidays. They invited a 15-year-old girl who they had bonded with to spend time with them at Christmas, since she was in residential care.

The other children she was living with had gone to see their families, and since she had no-one else, she spent time with Nicola and Stephen instead. For them, Christmas is about spending time with those who you care for and whose company you enjoy.

If you’re ready to start your own fostering success story, reach out to our team to find out more about our foster care services.