Fostering change; how COVID-19 could provide an opportunity to make a difference

For many of us, COVID-19 and Lockdown have provided an opportunity to begin to reconsider which part of our lives and lifestyles are important to us. The public outpouring of appreciation towards the NHS, delivery drivers and shop-workers has allowed us to reconsider the role and the impact that we have on our communities. Neighbours have begun chatting to each other, people wave at each other in the streets, and then there’s Captain Tom’s fundraiser.

Alongside this, people who once may have considered themselves to have stable and reliable incomes are now facing the possibility that there may not be work available when lockdown ends. There are also the hundreds of thousands of people who have stepped forward to volunteer for the NHS, local councils, and charities to provide much needed support to the vulnerable in our communities.

Hopefully, the feelings of community generosity, kindness, and the urge to ‘do one’s bit’ to help others will continue long after the lockdown has ended. One way is to consider joining the Affinity family and helping to provide children and young people with a nurturing and caring foster home.

It comes as no surprise that the Lockdown has led to increased levels of domestic violence and abuse within the home. So much so that the police have begun to advertise how to alert them if your abusive partner is nearby and Boots are offering safe spaces in their stores. For children trapped in abusive households, the loss of familiar escapes such as going to school or visiting friends could have magnified an already difficult home situation.

Affinity Fostering pride ourselves on working with our foster families to provide placements that are the perfect fit. Our matching processes provide the foundations for a successful fostering experience for both our foster carers and their families and the young people who we place in their care. After all the last thing that a young person who has suffered upheaval needs is further unrest and upset caused by a failed placement. Our matching processes and the care we take has recently been recognised and scored 5/5 by a South London multi borough commisioning programme. 

We also provide our foster carers with fantastic support ranging from dedicated social workers to our annual conference and meet up lunches, because we believe that each of us has a part to play in the successes of our fostering placements. Financially, our fostering family receives a generous allowance, which has continued throughout the pandemic and lockdown. Where other workers have been laid off, furloughed, or made redundant, our carers have continued to receive their income alongside any additional support that they needed for home schooling and activities within the home.

If recent events have made you start to reconsider your career options or you are wondering how you can do something that is more fulfilling, becoming a foster carer could be a path to head down. We are always on the lookout for new and existing foster carers to join our Ofsted Outstanding fostering family, so give us a call for a chat.