News
What Our Carers Say: Zadie, AFA Foster Carer
"Our placement manager has been a cornerstone in achieving our goal as foster carers. When we had a million questions to ask, she answered every one with a smile. When we went through to panel the words “you’ll be fine” were ringing through our ears. And we were. The...
What Our Carers Say: Sam, AFA Foster Carer
"Me and my husband have been fostering for nearly five and a half years with AFA. Throughout this time we have had a number of placements with varying challenges. Our very first placement was a sibling group who were with us for just over a year. This came with many...
How to Become a Foster Parent
Becoming a foster parent isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. It takes dedication, kindness and commitment to make a difference to a child’s life. To help you decide if you’ve got what it takes, you can read our Top 10 Foster Carer Qualities. Once you’ve decided that...
Sensory Care Made Simple: Touch
Senses are the way we detect our world, helping us understand what we see, hear, touch, smell and taste. We also have three other senses which help us to detect the world. They are largely unknown but play a crucial role in how we feel. These senses are called...
Creating The Best Fostering Agency: The Importance of Participation and Advocacy
We spend a great deal of time thinking about how we can make AFA Fostering the very best fostering agency it can be. By “the best”, we mean the agency which gives children in need the most positive experience, that gives foster carers the best support and ultimately...
How to Support Your Foster Child With a Healthy Diet
Encouraging your child with a healthy diet can be challenging. Particularly with all the varying commercials regarding, fast food restaurants, sweets and drinks. Marketing are very good with the timings and locations of advertising these products. Also it is important...
Why Foster Parents Should Not Focus on the Pay
Foster parents are some of today’s unsung heroes. So, we absolutely acknowledge that they deserve to be valued and generously rewarded for their effort, commitment and kindness towards children. Fostering allowances provide financial support to cover all the living...
What To Do If My Foster Child is Self-Harming?
A child in your care hurting themselves is one of the most worrying and scary things any foster parent has to face, and it will have a big emotional impact upon you, even if you’ve experienced it before. As terrifying and incomprehensible as it can seem, it’s actually...
What To Do If My Foster Child Won’t Eat?
When your child will not eat it becomes a worrying time for all parents and carers, however you are not alone. Although forcing a child to eat more than he/she needs, can only lead to tears, tantrums and stressful mealtimes for all involved. Make sure to take a look...
My Foster Child Won’t Go To School
When a child doesn’t go to school it can have a huge impact on both the child themselves and on everyone else in the household. Refusing to go can be a sign of problems in or out of school and it’s important to focus on getting to the underlying cause of why they...