Being a foster carer is an immensely rewarding but also challenging experience and sometimes you just need some sage advice or insights from other people who have been in the same situation. While every fostering placement is different, a lot can be learnt from studying the experiences of others which is why the Affinity family have gathered, what we believe, is the definitive guide to the best fostering resources available.
Sir John Timpson OBE is a foster carer with over 30 years’ experience. He has written 3 free books which are available at any Timpson, Max Spielmann or Johnsons the Clear store.
The books are titled:
· A guide to Attachment
· How to Create a Positive Future
· Looking after Looked After Children
Maggie Hartley is an incredibly experienced foster carer, having welcomed over 300 children into her home during her twenty-year career. The Sunday Times bestselling author’s memoirs describe the heart wrenching stories of children she looked after. Her books also cover a wide range of placement and age ranges.
Angela Hart’s set of 8 books are based on the true stories of the more than 50 children that she fostered over 27 years. They focus on the trauma that many looked after children and young people live with and the advocacy and support of their foster carers.
Ben’s true account of his time in care is heart-rending and takes the reader through his journey from being fostered at the age of 9 through to turning his life around after taking to crime and drugs. The Guardian described it as, ‘A powerful book that gives a hard-hitting account of the care system… and is vital reading for anyone wishing to learn about the true effects of multiple placement moves and the resilience it takes to “never, ever give up”.
Louise Allen Thrown Away Child
Louise Allen writes from her experiences as an adopted child suffering neglect and abuse and as a foster carer. Her first book, ‘Throw Away Child’, covers her childhood and how she survived. Alongside this, ‘How to Adopt a Child’ is an unvarnished guide on how to build a strong and lasting relationship with a child you are adopting or fostering.
Kim Phagan-Hansel is the editor of Fostering Families Today and Adoption Today, meaning that there is very little that she doesn’t know about fostering. The Foster Parenting Toolbox
is packed with advice, words of wisdom, guidance from over 100 contributors and is an excellent reference for anyone working within the fostering system.
Betsy De Thierry The Simple Guide to Child Trauma. What it is and how to help.
This book is a straightforward guide to understanding how trauma affects children and young people and how adults can help. It also includes strategies to help understand a child’s emotional and behavioural responses following trauma and advice to aid recovery.
Steve Biddulph Raising Boys in the 21st Century
Steve Biddulph is a world-famous family therapist and psychologist who has written two best sellers on parenting. In his book ‘Raising Boys’ he provides real life situations and insights on how to parent boys to become happy, responsible, and emotionally confident adults.
My Skin Your Skin is a powerful book to help children and adults have meaningful discussions about race and anti-racism. Most importantly, the book empowers children to be the best versions of themselves; to have self-love, self-esteem and self-worth, irrespective of their skin colour.
Everyone who fosters with Affinity gets free membership to FosterTalk. FosterTalk’s website is packed with useful information and resources for foster carers, and they also provide a helpline and 24/7 counselling service. Knowing that there is someone there to speak to at any time of day is great for peace of mind.
Affinity’s Male Foster Carer Blogs
Written by one of our male foster carers, our Secret Carer blogs guide you through the trials and pitfalls of fostering teenage boys. You’ll find yourself laughing and nodding as you read, and they prove that we’re never on our own.
If you’re interested in becoming a foster carer or are considering transferring to a new fostering agency, the Affinity team would love to hear from you. Just leave us your details and we’ll get in touch
Let us know the best time for us to call you and we'll schedule an appointment.
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