Short Break Foster Carers previously called Respite Foster Carers are an essential part of the Moon and Back team. The Foster Carers that provide this type of care can be the glue needed to support families to be whole again and for foster carers to succeed in their...
Short Break Foster Carers previously called Respite Foster Carers are an essential part of the Moon and Back team. The Foster Carers that provide this type of care can be the glue needed to support families to be whole again and for foster carers to succeed in their role. We know that life can be...
This foundation sensory system has many roles and is vital to helping us be in our bodies, know...
One group of women that often go unrecognized are foster carers in the UK, who provide a safe and...
I have fostered some lovely young people, of all ages. My last young person T left me 5 years ago...
We have been fostering for just over 9 years. Our day starts early, we have a rescue dog, and he demands our attention quite early in the morning at the moment. Joe works full time and leaves home about 7.30, he usually takes the dog out for a quick stroll whilst I make sure that our fostered child has everything he needs for the day at school. He’s very bright, but sometimes struggles to keep his attention in school. At his first primary school we struggled to get what he needed and he was often disruptive in class. We initially had to drive him to and from his original school which was quite a way from where we lived. He was tired from the very start, because we had to leave home at 7.30 to make sure he was in school on time and whilst the teachers were lovely to him, his social worker Jenny, felt he would benefit from a new start and we were able to find a school nearer to us, within walking distance. He made some new friends and he settled well. He’s now at secondary school. He’s obsessed with football. Joe thankfully loves football, and he takes him to matches most Saturdays and football practice at least once a week.
I get up at 6.15, throw on my running gear, persuade the dog to come with me and head out for a 6k before I do anything else. It’s a nuisance when it is dark, but I know if I don’t go first thing it just won’t happen! I get back for a quick shower and then get the kids out of the door to school. At that point I can sit at my desk and check emails etc. I usually turn my phone on at about 8am…unless I am on call, when it is on all the time. I share an office with my partner, so if we are both home and one of us has a meeting or calls, one of us will work at the kitchen table.
My days are pretty varied and never dull. Profession wise, I say I am a foster carer and I consider my work is fostering. However, I have other varied roles which I incorporate into my day, and I feel I have good balance in my life. Alongside fostering young people, I foster dogs too via Dogs Trust. I volunteer for Essex police, and I am involved in the local neighbourhood watch as well as being a restorative justice facilitator. During lockdown, I also volunteered for my local vaccination centre, and will continue to squeeze a shift in when I can. My days, therefore, are pretty varied, and rarely dull.
