We are fostering

Birth children in foster families have to share their homes and parents with new arrivals who may come with varying problems and needs. A considerable period of adjustment as well as significant parental attention may be required to help foster children settle in to their new family. Birth children in this situation may well feel angry and resentful at having to share toys, space and their parents' love.

We are fostering is a life story workbook which will help birth children to know themselves, their history and their role in the family. There is information about what fostering, adoption, and getting "approved" before having children to stay, mean. Working through this book will help prepare birth children to welcome new arrivals into their homes and lives. There is even a certificate of achievement at the end, awarded for completing the book 'and for all the help and support you have given to other children'.

There is space for drawings, photographs, documents and a record of feelings and thoughts at various stages in the process.

This easy to use and imaginative resource is ideal to help birth children in families who will be fostering to understand themselves and their place in their family, along with what it means to be adopted or fostered.

Who is this book for?

Birth children in families who will be or who are fostering looked after children.

The workbook can be used flexibly by any child, including children with special needs and children adopted from abroad.

What you will find in this book

Colour-coded sections include space for drawings, photographs, documents and a record of feelings and thoughts.

The workbook is divided into five colour-coded sections:

• Things I know about myself
• My family and what we are like
• Sharing and what this means
• How we became a foster family
• Having children come to stay

A separate booklet with practice guidelines will help social workers and adoptive parents to understand the background and significance of completing the various sections of the book.

Author

Jean Camis has many years’ experience of working in children and family services. She developed this book with the hope that it will help separated children to make their lives more complete by having a strong sense of themselves and establishing the foundation for new beginnings.