Learning from foster children's experiences of the pandemic

This undoubtedly occurred in some cases. Sometimes this was the result of foster children refusing to adhere to social distancing requirements and threatening the health of the foster family. In other cases, it was the result of existing stresses, compounded by adults and children cohabiting 24-hours-a-day with no respite from each other. For families who are living with child-to-parent violence, it is no surprise to hear that many difficult situations have been exacerbated by the pandemic; sometimes to breaking point.

But an aspect of lockdown that had not been foreseen by anyone in the sector was that many children would find themselves more settled, presenting fewer behavioural challenges to their foster carers than would normally be the case. This is what our members tell us they are hearing from both foster carers and their foster children.