Advice

The life of a foster carer is a rewarding one, but it can sometimes be a little too much. Whether it’s stress, family issues, or plain old exhaustion – we all need a break sometimes. This is where respite foster care comes in. Respite foster care occurs when one foster family temporarily cares for another family’s foster children. If a family is experiencing a difficult time, another foster family can offer to temporarily share the load. If you’re interested in becoming involved in respite foster

Short term foster care is all about welcoming a foster child into your home for a short period of time. It is one of the many types of fostering we facilitate at Orchard Fostering. Read on to find out more about short term fostering. What is short term foster care? Short term foster care involves caring for a foster child for a short period of time. The care period can last for days, weeks, or months. The aim of short term placements is to eventually

Are you concerned about how your birth children might react when you welcome a foster child into your home? In this piece, we’ll look at the challenges facing birth children when a foster child enters their lives. We’ll also look at the benefits a relationship with a foster child can have on your birth children. First, let’s look at the challenges facing birth children when a foster child comes into their life. The Challenges A new person in their environment We’ve written before about how

Emergency fostering placements occurs when a child needs to be removed from their current environment immediately. These placements can occur at short notice and may last up to 72 hours. Emergency fostering is one of the many different types of fostering we facilitate at Orchard Fostering. Read on to find out more about emergency fostering. What is emergency fostering? Emergency foster care may be needed in situations where a child initially or suddenly enters the care system. They may have been removed from the care

At Orchard Fostering, we offer a wide range of additional services to support our carers on their fostering journeys. One of those internal supports is access to play therapy, a psychotherapeutic method used to help children explore their emotions and thoughts through play. We spoke to our play therapist, Sabrina, about all the aspects of play therapy. Read on to find out everything you ever wanted to know about play therapy. What is play therapy? Sabrina: Play therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach used to help

Supported lodgings is all about offering care and support to young people over the age of sixteen in need of a home environment. Carers provide these young people with an opportunity to learn the skills required to live independently – while also offering practical and emotional support. Have you ever wondered about becoming a supported lodgings carer? If so, read on to find out more about supported lodgings and how Orchard Fostering can help. What is supported lodgings? Supported lodgings is a little different to