Christmas and foster care – part one

Foster carers share their experiences of being a fostering household over Christmas time and how they make it as best as possible for everyone over the festive period. 

Christmas can be difficult for fostered young people – what do you do in your home to help children and young people cope with/enjoy Christmas?

We plan activities that require carer/child interaction. Sometimes we do Christmas cooking activities with the child and try to ensure child is happy and relaxed for contact visits.

We also like to provide the child with some treats for the journey to and from contact visits.

What is your favourite Christmas memory while fostering?

I think this would be when the child we were fostering visibly enjoyed our family and friends. The child also took part in the local nativity and later the child enjoying and partaking in the local panto show.

Tell us about something that has made Christmas difficult for your foster child in the past.

Contact (with birth family) was a source of anxiety. The child was uncomfortable about contact visit and returned to us in a low mood and spirit. Together we baked ginger bread cookies to take the child’s focus off their negative experience from contact visit.

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