WELCOME A FOSTER CHILD

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Welcome the child by introducing your family and by reminding their names, even if a child has been informed about you as a family. Allow the child to settle into their new home before inviting family and friends or new people over to meet them. Contact issues should be discussed, understood and agreed prior to placement and confirmed at the Placement Planning Meeting.

HOUSE AND GARDEN TOUR

HOUSE AND GARDEN TOUR

A tour of the house and garden after arrival should be facilitated as soon as possible. This is a lovely activity to get your children or other foster children involved with. The new addition to the family will have the opportunity to ask questions while familiarising themselves with their new home. Also, the family are able to share some house rules and specific information along the way e.g. who's bedroom is where, where the kitchen and bathroom are and other important things like hot & cold tap, where towels are located etc. 

WARM WELCOME OF FOSTER CHILD

WARM WELCOME OF FOSTER CHILD

The arrival of a foster child in your house can be a time of excitement, as well as anxiety. For the child coming into your home, it is especially an intimidating period. Also remember, this new foster child is being moved from his/her family, to a strange home and to an unknown family. Keeping all this mind, try to make this a good experince for the child as well as for your family. 

RESPECT, LOVE AND CARE

RESPECT, LOVE AND CARE

It is important to remember that children come from many different backgrounds and their experiences of life may be completely different from you as a fostering family. The fostering family must respect and value differences in relation to race, religion, culture, disability, heritage, experiences, values and views. Please also remember to never respond to issues in relation to the foster child’s birth family in a negative way. Please make sure you are available to listen to the foster child if he/she needs to talk about their thoughts and feelings in relation to their family or their experiences. Handle the children with love and care to make a postive difference in their lives. 

FOOD

FOOD

Refreshments should be offered to the child as soon as they arrive. Inform children shortly after their arrival arrangements for accessing food and refreshments. Age appropriate guide the child through the kitchen to explain where drinks, cups, foods are located. Food/drink can be a reason of anxiety for children e.g. when feeling thirsty or hungry and not confident enough to ask.

MEAL TIMES

MEAL TIMES

Meal times can be a tense time for some children and it is important to make sure what their experience of meal times has been like in their families and do all you can to make meal times a positive and relaxed time for all present. You might need a period of time to educate them around rules at meal times, but as with other house rules, these should be introduced sensitively and the child can be given with the opportunity to eat in a more relaxed way on certain occasions. You can get advice and tips on this from your supervising social worker.

About Ansacare

Ansacare Fostering Agency is an independent foster care provider established in 2010 and is registered as a limited company registered under the Companies Act 1985 (Company Registration No: 6997826). AFA was registered with Ofsted in 2010, with the aim of working to provide the highest level of professional expertise and quality care for children and young people in care.

Upcoming Events

No events