Foster carers do amazing work. Looking after children and young people who would otherwise be living in a world of suffering, either physical or emotional does not come without its challenges.

All foster carers are given the responsibility to guide the young ones they care for through life’s challenges. Many of these young ones have been through trauma, and often many times over. Many have also been through multiple foster homes which means trust and attachment is something they struggle with. So, when they are thrown a curveball that changes their routine and their already uncertain life, they do not know how to cope. This is where the foster carer steps up to provide security, stability and as much normality as possible.

The work that foster carers do in their own time to learn how to provide the support that will suit each child in their care and become trauma informed is unseen, but for the child it is absolutely necessary and key to their ongoing development. Foster carers search out ways either through formal study, reading books and research articles, or searching for support pages and groups to learn as much as possible in order to support the children they open their home to and love unconditionally.

I want to take a moment to thank all of the foster carers who are dealing with something they could not have anticipated or are not trained for and yet are doing it with such grace, compassion and understanding to allow the children in their homes to navigate this very complicated world they now find themselves in.

Having been a carer for 5years, I have navigated uncharted territories and welcome any fellow carers in my network to reach out at any time with any questions they have. Hopefully I have worked through a similar situation and can help by sharing my experiences, but at the very least I can be your sounding board because I know sometimes that is all that is needed.

Please know that I am here, you are not in this alone and you are doing a great job.

#childdevelopment #ourchildrenneedus #protectingourchildren #childrensmentalhealth #specialneeds #childsafety