Advice

Christmas – it’s the most wonderful time of year, right? In 2020, this sentiment might elicit a few more ‘Bah, humbugs!’ than usual. COVID-19 has put a dampener on the holiday spirit, but that doesn’t mean you have to go full Ebenezer Scrooge. If you’re feeling overwhelmed this Christmas, don’t worry – Orchard Fostering are here to help. We’ve consulted with Santa’s elves and have pulled together some tips for foster parents this Christmas. Read on to find plenty of fun Christmas activities for foster

At Orchard Fostering, we pride ourselves on our foster carers. They are the bedrock of the work we do. But what does a day in the life of a foster carer look like? How exactly does it all work? To answer these questions, we reached out to Nicola, one of our foster carers. Nicola, along with her husband and two daughters, have been foster carers with Orchard Fostering for the past three and a half years. Nicola kindly took the time to answer a few

Separation anxiety disorder impacts many foster children in care. It encompasses anxieties created by a separation from the home or a separation from a parent. In this article, we take a look at separation anxiety in foster children, run through some tips for helping foster children cope with separation and loss, and discuss foster care support and training services offered by Orchard Fostering that can help you and your foster child cope with separation anxiety. What is separation anxiety?  Separation anxiety is a form of

Providing long term foster care to a child is often foster applicant's ideal scenario and central to their motivation to foster, with long term fostering depicted as the most rewarding type of care for both the child and the foster carer. Long term foster care involves a child being cared for in their foster placement for a number of years and often up to and beyond their eighteenth birthday– allowing foster children to build long-lasting and stable relationships over time. However, children are rarely received

Never mind Christmas – for lots of children, Halloween is the most wonderful time of the year. As a holiday, it has it all – a week off school, free treats, spooky costumes, a festive reason to scare your parents out of their skin... the list goes on. This year, however, things are a little different. With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging, Halloween can seem in danger of outright cancellation. What’s Oiche Samhain without trick-or-treating? If you’re worried about celebrating Halloween with your foster child,

Keeping fit is important. Getting regular exercise helps you stay healthy, both physically and mentally. We all understand the benefits of staying in shape as we get older – but the same applies to kids, too. Children need regular exercise to burn energy and to ensure they grow into healthy adults. Finding the motivation to get out and exercise with your foster child can be tough, but we’re here to help. Read on to find out our four tips and tricks for keeping fit with