Foster Carers at Christmas

Ho Ho Ho-w are you doing? With Christmas just around the corner, it’s a busy time of year as we deck the halls, fill our trolleys and debate when it’s acceptable to start the tub of Quality Street. Well, the first tub anyway.

Foster care at Christmas can be non-stop too, just take the above and add in one, two, or four extra children in a new home, adjusting to a new life adventure. Thankfully we have a cracking team of foster heroes who look at all this and still say, “bring it on!”. They rock, but they need a team around them too.

At Footprints we’re committed to helping these awesome heroes, but even we can’t do it alone. So, if you have a sister, brother, adult child or bestie who is a foster carer, will you commit to being a super team member for them this season? Read on to find out how you can save a foster carer this Christmas…

BE PRESENT

Foster care can be busy, brilliant and stressful at Christmas. Sometimes all at once. Make a commitment to regularly touch base with the carer you know. If you can, meet for a festive coffee and catch-up, if it’s more practical, ping them a message. Essentially, be there for them if they need to vent, escape or just have a giggle. Presence tops presents in our opinion, empathy beats sympathy and nothing beats knowing you’ve got someone caring about you as you care for others.

BE ACCEPTING

Lots of visitors at an already emotional time can be overwhelming for some foster children. If you want to drop in on a carer you know, get in touch and give them some notice. Ask if it will be okay, accept if it isn’t. This way, your lovely friend has a chance to chat to any children in their care, let them know who you are, what will be happening and gauge whether a visit is a good idea.

BE INCLUSIVE

If you’re sending or delivering presents for birth children in a carer’s family, don’t forget their foster children too. Especially at Christmas, children in a different home can feel like they’re in the way or less important. Please make an effort to encourage and include them! If you’re after inspiration, Argos recently revealed its top toys for 2023. For a more generic option, few children would turn down a selection box and teens often appreciate an Amazon gift card.

BE AVAILABLE

Christmas is a time when many foster carers can receive last minute placements. Offering to brave the shops and get any extra bits they need can give them precious extra time to spend with new children. In addition, stressed, impulsive or simply extra excited children can’t always deal with waiting for presents to be ready on the big day. Offering to help wrap, construct or store goodies in advance could make a carer’s Christmas so much easier.

BE MINDFUL

With carers giving out so much, they can sometimes forget about themselves. As a final idea, why not make up a little self-care box to drop off and help them have something on hand when they could do with a treat themselves?

If you’ve got any other great tips to help save a foster carer this Christmas, please share them with us our Facebook page and if you’ve got any foster-related questions, please contact us.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL AT FOOTPRINTS!