Advice

Developing a healthy sense of confidence is one of the most important things we learn in early development. It enables us to face challenges, overcome obstacles and thrive in all aspects of life. As children grow into teenagers, this skill becomes particularly important. If you’ve begun fostering a teenager or recently become a supported lodgings carer you may be wondering how to help them nurture their confidence and self-esteem.  At Orchard Fostering, we’re here to help throughout every aspect of your journey in foster care

After you’ve made the decision to become a foster carer, an important step in the process is the first home visit.  It’s natural for potential foster carers to feel a little nervous ahead of the first visit but there’s no need to worry. This is an essential part of our fostering approval process to allow us to find out more about you as well as for you to have the opportunity to get to know us.  Whether you’ve already decided to become a foster carer

Providing a nurturing environment to a child in need of a temporary home is an incredibly rewarding endeavor. But before they begin their fostering journey, many ‘would-be’ foster parents have concerns and fears about what's expected of them and how best to prepare. Many begin to wonder about setting up their foster child’s bedroom, or how to make their foster child feel at home. At Orchard Fostering, we understand that the road to fostering is different for everyone. But there are a few key considerations

It’s that time of year again! The lights are on, carols are being sung and shopping centres are beginning to fill up. With presents to get, decorations to hang and Christmas dinner to plan, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. What matters most, however, is sharing this time with loved ones and making joyful memories. Like the recent John Lewis advertisement - which shines a light on foster care - emphasizes, Christmas should be about giving, not

The beginning of any foster care journey is an exciting time, filled with many emotions for both the foster parent and the foster child. Whether or not it's your first time fostering, it's understandable to feel a little overwhelmed at the thought of preparing your home for a new child's arrival. There are practicalities to consider as well as the psychological aspect of helping your foster child feel at home. There's a number of things you can do to ensure you're providing both a safe

Becoming a foster carer is an incredibly rich and rewarding experience. Providing a supportive and safe environment can have a huge influence on a young person’s life as well as your own. There are plenty of myths and misconceptions around fostering, but what many people don’t realise is that there are some things that may be completely normal to do with birth children, that aren’t allowed when fostering. At Orchard Fostering, we’re committed to supporting and educating foster carers. That’s why we’ve compiled a practical