News
Black Lives Matter
All at AFA abhor racism and all forms of discrimination. This article is not an attempt to promote AFA on the back of Black Lives Matter. We do, however, recognise the importance of continually pushing to change and that change has been needed for very many years. We...
Why does fostering require a spare bedroom?
There are lots of people who would dearly love to foster. Many possess the right skills and aptitude, but are disappointed to find that they cannot go forward to assessment because they do not have a spare bedroom to offer for fostering. In this article, we will try...
Parent and Child Fostering: Can You Help?
Over the past year, there has been an increase in the number of babies being taken into local authority care. In some cases, where mothers have continued to abuse substances during pregnancy, babies are born addicted to drugs or alcohol. That’s why at AFA Fostering,...
5 Ways Christmas Might Be Different for Fostered Children
As we head into the new year, all of us at AFA Fostering, along with our busy foster parents, are getting ready for Christmas. For many, it’s a time of big grocery shopping trips, school plays, hanging festive decorations, lots of mince pies, secret Santa...
Why Are Case Records and Logs So Important to Young People?
Barnardo’s has one of the largest collections of archives and records about children in the world, dating from the 1870s to the present day. This archive holds thousands of files and photographs of children and young people who were looked after by the charity, either...
Case Study: A Statement From A Care Leaver
It's National Care Leavers Week (24 - 31st October 2019). We thought it would be good to mark the occasion by sharing this heart-warming statement from one of our care leavers: "Many people may argue that being in care is not the best place to be. There are negative...
Experiencing ‘empty nest’ syndrome? Have you thought about fostering?
Want to talk it through with someone? It’s the time of year when many young adults are preparing to leave home. Some will be heading to university, while others may be moving to take up a new job or have a gap year. Whatever the reason, it’s a big change in their...
AFA Statement RE: Radio 4 Today on Private Equity Investors and Fostering
On 27 August, BBC Radio 4’s Today programme ran an in-depth article on the effect of Private Equity investors buying up small Independent Fostering Agencies, in the process creating three very large organisations which between them dominate the fostering market. We at...
Surviving to Thriving
We regularly identify current research, events or developments which we feel may interest you. This month I want to let you know about a free conference I attended in June 2019, which was organised by the British Red Cross, UpRising and the Refugee Council. The study...
How To Welcome a Foster Child into Your Home: 10 Top Tips
Having a foster child join your family is a huge life event for them and you. The first step is to create a warm and welcoming environment. This will help a child to feel loved and valued from the beginning of their new placement. A child may appear to settle in...