advice

Foster carer makes it into top 50 Gloucestershire women of all time

It's not every day your name is mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Lily Allen, Dame Jilly Cooper, and Princess Anne. Which is why respite foster carer, Vanessa Worrall, has every reason to be proud after being nominated in Citizen and Echo’s list of Gloucestershire’s 50 Greatest Women of All Time.

Vanessa has made a name for herself working in the community as a youth worker and now project manager at Together In Matson for two decades. Two years ago, she brought all her experience and knowledge of working with young people to the table and became a carer with Community Foster Care. The Fostering Network catches up with Vanessa to hear what she has to say about fostering.

Tips to cope with exam stress

It's exam season! And with that comes, for many, a period of stress.

Anxiety surrounding exams is very common - students feel pressure to perform well for a variety of reasons which usually stem from the three major themes of not disappointing their teachers, parents or foster carers, keeping up with their peers and ensuring entry to the college, university or job of their choice.

Becoming overwhelmed by stress can have extremely serious side effects - for example, it can disrupt sleep and trigger anxiety attacks, depression and eating disorders.

To combat this we have compiled a list of top tips from stress experts, foster carers and young people to help you cope with exam stress.

Holidays and fostering

We all need a break to ‘get away from it all,’ and that’s what holidays are there for. Whether it’s caravanning it through the countryside in the middle of spring, or a summer getaway to Ibiza, we are practically spoilt for choice when it comes to finding the perfect spot to spend some quality time with our foster children or young people.

Taking responsibility

Having blogged for many years about fostering and raising children I have more recently looked at ways in which adults and young people can achieve happiness and contentment. Last time we looked at how we can turn the corner and move on after a negative experience. This time I’d like to look at taking responsibility for our lives.

Covering all ground – insuring your home as a foster carer

Things can get a little tricky when it comes to home insurance for foster carers. This is especially the case when it comes to making claims, particularly for intentional damage. Having the right home insurance is vital for peace of mind.

Fostered to football

The Fostering Network catches up with Ricky Weir, former Players Footballer of the Year in the Jersey Premier League and current founder and chairman of the Jersey2Africa4Football initiative. We follow Ricky's journey from foster child to working with English Premier League footballer Victor Wanyama (pictured below), as he gives some encouraging advice for prospective carers as well as children going into or currently in care.

Before the first arrival

Are you a newly approved foster carer and waiting for your first arrival? Here are some top tips for you from experienced carers!

Welcoming a new child into your home

Angela has been a foster carer for five years. She and her husband, Simon, specialise in looking after sibling groups aged four upwards. Here she shares some tips which have helped her when welcoming a new foster child into her home.

Knockout fundraising: 19-year-old Tish takes to the boxing ring for fostering families