Advice

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

We are living in strange times. COVID-19 has impacted every element of our lives – our health, our work, and our education. With schools closed across the country since March, many parents have been left wondering what to do. While teachers are providing work for some students, there is still a whole lot of time to fill throughout the day – and filling it with something beneficial and educational is a priority. A lot of parents have turned to home-schooling their children as a result

We all know the feeling. Your foster child has had a hard day at school and they just want to go outside and play. Sometimes that’s all you want, too! Alas, homework beckons. There are differing opinions on the effectiveness of assigning homework to students. For younger children, it can be more of a nuisance than anything else – it reduces playtime and can create stress (for children and parents). Older children see a more immediate benefit, as homework can be used as a study

One of the abiding myths surrounding foster care concerns age limits. “Am I too young?” and “Am I too old?” are questions we’ve dealt with many times over the years. The reality is, once you’re over the age of 25 and capable of caring for children, you can foster. At Orchard Fostering, we’re open to foster carers of all ages. We spoke to our youngest and oldest foster carers about their experiences, and how they feel their age has helped or hindered them on their

We look at ways to help develop good reading habits with your foster children – and yourself. At Orchard Fostering, we understand the importance of helping your foster child and family develop an interest in reading. Basic literacy is a life skill many of us take for granted. Whether its trawling through tweets, scanning newspaper headlines, or checking a recipe – everyone reads. While this everyday reading is all well and good, you may be wondering how to take things to the next level with