Becoming a foster carer is an incredible opportunity to give a young person or child the fresh start they deserve and need. Being on this journey takes tremendous courage, but it is one of the most rewarding things you can do.
There are currently 55,000 foster carers in the UK. Foster carers do a brilliant job of looking after the children in their care. As well as providing day-to-day care for them, they advocate on the child’s behalf and support their health, education and social well-being.
Another thing foster carers do for their foster children is plan activities. These activities help to create lasting, happy memories for the children in their care. If you’re a foster carer who is looking for ideas on how to make special memories with your foster child, keep reading below:
1. Organise a Special Day Out
Fostering a child from a fostering agency, like fosterplus.co.uk, is a fantastic thing to do. However, it can also be challenging. Most children in care have experienced tough times, such as abuse or neglect. These children are unlikely to have many happy memories of their life.
However, foster carers can change this by creating new, happy memories with their foster children. One simple way they can do this is by organising a memorable day out. Where you go is entirely up to you. You could take a trip to the local park to feed the ducks or arrange a trip to a theme park. Think about what your foster child would like and go from there.
2. Have a Movie Night
Although some children in care will have had movie nights with their families in the past, many will not. If your foster child has never experienced a movie night, now’s the time to organise one. You could make it extra special by buying snacks your foster child enjoys.
3. Create a Scrapbook
Another great way to create memories with your foster child is to produce a scrapbook of memories together. The scrapbook you create could contain photos of your foster child, their family, and some photos of your family. It can also include things like poems and drawings.
4. Organise a Game Night
Game nights are another brilliant way to create lasting memories with your foster child. As well as this, they are also the perfect way to bring the whole family together. However, if you really want to create unforgettable memories with your foster child, try not to be too competitive. It’s nice to let them win once in a while.
Very few children in care have happy memories of their childhood. Many of them have experienced trauma, such as physical abuse or neglect. While it is impossible to change the memories your foster children already have, foster carers can do many things to make new, happy memories with their foster child. If you’re a foster carer wanting to make memories with your foster child, why not try out some of the ideas above?
