Education is one of the most valuable assets that a child can have. It opens up opportunities for personal growth, social development and future success. However, not all children have access to quality education or the support they need to succeed. Foster children in particular may need extra educational support due to moving schools, missing out on classes, tumultuous home environments and many other factors. 

If you’re interested in foster care, please contact Orchard Fostering today. We’re available on the phone or via email – you can also fill out a form directly on our contact page. We recruit carers nationwide. 

At Orchard Fostering we believe in nurturing the potential of each child. The benefits of educational support aren’t just limited to boosted academic performance. For foster children, the benefits of receiving such supports can extend far and wide.

These include:

    • Improving motivation and self-esteem
    • Developing skills and competencies
    • Fostering creativity and innovation
    • Encouraging social interaction and inclusion
    • Contributing to social change and development

We understand how vital it is that foster children have the support they need to thrive, which is why we’ve developed an education support service that facilitates assistance in a number of areas. The education support service within Orchard Fostering was created to meet the needs of children and carers who may require assistance with their learning. In order to support the whole fostering family, we offer this service to birth children, foster children and foster carers. We have a team of education liaison workers made up of teachers and volunteers with expertise in a variety of different areas.

These education supports include;

    • primary and post-primary subject tuition
    • homework support
    • literacy support with qualified TEFL teachers
    • exam supports such as study planning and essay writing
    • career guidance, course choices and CAO applications
    • empowering carers to support the children in their care with their education

We have regular contributors who provide information sessions for our carers on topics such as ADHD, how to support children with their education, careers and course opportunities after the Leaving Cert and exploring Third Level funding streams. These information sessions are a really valuable resource for carers as some of the children in their care have complex backgrounds so may not be suited to traditional Third Level education or they may not be eligible for state funding due to their legal status in Ireland.

We recognise how stressful the Junior Cert and Leaving Cert can be for young people so this year, we sent each foster child and birth child a study care pack to show they were in our thoughts. This pack included revision notebooks and cards, stationary sets, sensory activities and some sweet treats. Our education service is constantly developing and next year, we hope to run online study groups for maths and oral and aural language exams.

We’re also aware that support can come in big and small ways. That’s why we’ve focused our blog on providing help and guidance to support foster parents. In our life skills blog, for example, we talk about how you can help your foster child develop important life skills such as cooking, housekeeping, health and hygiene skills and how to best support foster children’s mental health. Similarly, in another post we’ve taken a look at some books for foster parents and children that can offer insight and support.  

By providing education support for children, we can help them realize their full potential and aid them in achieving their goals. 

If you’re interested in foster care, please contact Orchard Fostering today. We’re available on the phone or via email – you can also fill out a form directly on our contact page.