Christmas can be hard time for children in care. Being a foster carer and fostering children provides the opportunity to make their time as comforting and enjoyable as possible. Fostering in Wakefield and the surrounding area is a great thing to do, and the West Yorkshire region can really boast a fantastic community spirit. 

We know it is a tough time for everyone with resources being stretched, and with Covid-19 restrictions in place it will be a different experience for everyone. Therefore we have come up with some achievable advice to help foster carers provide the best Christmas they can for their foster children:

1. Talk about Christmas: It is important to talk to a child about what will be happening so they know what to expect. Let them tell you about what they enjoy doing and try to integrate it into the festivities. 
    
2. Think about diversity: Fostering children from different backgrounds and who have different religious beliefs is encouraged. Celebrate their customs and religions as well as your own to make them feel as secure as possible. 
    
3. More visitors than normal can be overwhelming: Christmas can be a hectic time, with family members and friends coming by to celebrate. Be aware that it might be hard for a young child to see a number of strangers at once. So it is best to talk to them about who will be visiting and limit numbers to a manageable amount especially this coming December.
    
4. Include children in the food shopping: When fostering children, it is important to make them feel included all of the time. This is no different at Christmas and one way it can be achieved is through getting them involved in the food shop. This will help them with any concerns they have about the food, and make children with eating disorders feel safe.
    
5. Be prepared: For foster carers already fostering children it is important to have your Christmas planned. This provides ample time to explain what is going to happen. For foster carers waiting for a child, being prepared is also essential. This is because children can be placed in care 365 days of the year. It may be worth having extra supplies and gifts just in case. 

Here at Fostering to Inspire our experts are on hand to help our foster carers out with any issues they might have. If you have any questions about how to make the Christmas period special then please get in touch.