Sons and Daughters Month is The Fostering Network’s annual campaign to celebrate the vital contribution that the children of foster carers make to foster care.
Each October, fostering services across the UK run events and activities to recognise and reward children and young people for the important role they play in welcoming fostered children into their families. Cheshire West and Chester Council’s fostering team will be treating members of their sons and daughters group to a special screening at Storyhouse with goody bags and thank you cards that acknowledge the support and friendship they offer foster children.
Many people say that the potential impact on their birth children is one of the major barriers to becoming a foster carer. The reality is that many children benefit from being part of the support network offered by a fostering family to a fostered child. Seeing life from another’s perspective can be an enriching experience and can help a child learn and develop as an individual.
The sons and daughters of foster carers play an essential role in welcoming fostered children into their families and ensuring successful fostering placements. Most sons and daughters of foster carers report that they are happy being part of a fostering family, but expectations on them are high and there can be challenges to overcome.
The children of foster carers can join the Council’s Sons and Daughters group, run by the Fostering team to provide support for young children and teenagers. Supporting sons and daughters through groups and activities helps them meet other children from families who foster and share their experiences in a fun and safe environment.
You can find out more about how to foster whilst raising your own sons and daughters at the next information event at Storyhouse in Chester on Sunday 15 October, 10am – 12pm. You can meet staff and talk to families that already foster to discover more about the realities and rewards of caring for some of the borough’s vulnerable children.