family time through foster carers Amy’s eyes

When children are in foster care, staying connected to the people who matter most to them can play an important part in helping them feel safe, reassured and understood. Family time gives children the opportunity to maintain important relationships and stay connected to their sense of identity, family history and the people who are significant in their lives, even during periods of change and uncertainty.

But for many children, family time can bring a mixture of emotions. That’s why having the right support around them can make all the difference.

Family time is when children in care stay connected with members of their family or people who are important to them. This can take place in a variety of ways, including face to face meetings, telephone calls, letters, emails and social networks. Family time may also involve support from foster carers to help children feel comfortable, reassured and emotionally supported throughout the experience.

For foster carer Amy, supporting family time has become a meaningful part of her fostering journey with Foster Wales Flintshire. Whether that’s transporting children to family time sessions, helping them prepare emotionally beforehand or supporting family time itself where appropriate, Amy has seen first hand the positive impact that calm, consistent support can have on a child’s experience.

Amy shared how supporting family time has strengthened her understanding of the child’s identity and the people who matter most to them.

“I have enjoyed supporting the child to maintain connections with those who are important to them. I supervise all family time, and this allowed me to build positive working relationships with birth family. I accessed Supervising Family Time training, and I have been well supported by my Supervising Social Worker within the Foster Wales Flintshire team. It has allowed me to better understand the child’s identity and what is important to them, and I believe it is in the best interest of the child for family time to be supported by someone familiar.”

Family time can bring up lots of emotions for children. Excitement, nerves, uncertainty and hope can all exist at the same time, which is why having a familiar and trusted adult alongside them can make such a difference.

By building positive and supportive experiences around family time, foster carers can help children feel calmer and more secure before, during and after sessions. It can also help family time feel more natural and child focused, allowing children the space to maintain important relationships and stay connected to their sense of identity in a way that feels safe and supported.

the impact of this support is perhaps best described by one of the children Amy cares for, who shared what it means to have Amy by their side during family time.

“It’s nice to have someone familiar supporting family time in case anything goes wrong, it is more comforting. For my birth family, they can connect with who I am living with. My parents and Amy have a good bond and work together. My birth family and Amy communicate, it isn’t awkward, everyone is open and that makes me happy”.

Amy explained that even small acts of support can have a lasting impact on a child.

“I feel that consistency is key in supporting a child to build trust. By being the person who supported the child to family time allowed them to understand I am not there to replace their birth family, but I am there alongside. I ensure I always take an interest and get to know the birth family and anyone important to the child so they can share experiences and important things. As well as supervising family time, I always transport and find the conversations in the car beneficial to support emotional security. The child opens up a lot when we are in the car, maybe it is the lack of eye contact, but they speak more openly about their emotions.”

For many people, fostering is often thought about as simply opening your home to a child. But fostering can involve supporting children in many different ways, including helping them maintain relationships with the people who are important to them and supporting their understanding of their own identity and family connections.

for Amy, supporting children through these moments has been one of the most rewarding parts of fostering.

“I have loved seeing how happy the child is after some family time sessions. I have enjoyed seeing the connections the child has been able to maintain. I have really enjoyed my fostering journey and looking forward to becoming a Special Guardian and providing the child with a plan for a permanent future, whilst also maintaining connections with those important to them.”

Family time is not only important for children, but can also help foster carers better understand a child’s relationships, emotions and experiences. By working together with families, foster carers can play an important role in helping children feel supported from all sides while helping them maintain connections to their identity, family and personal history.

Amy believes that having foster carers who are willing to support family time can make a huge difference to children and families alike.

“I would absolutely encourage foster carers to support with family time as it makes such a positive difference to all involved. It is a child-focused way of caring for a child and allows the child to maintain their identity and connections which are important to them. I also think it allows birth family to feel more settled knowing who the child is living with, reducing any torn loyalties.”

At Foster Wales Flintshire, we know that every foster carer brings something different. Some people may feel particularly passionate about supporting children and families during these important moments and helping children maintain those valuable connections.

By supporting family time, foster carers can help children feel reassured, connected to their identity and supported during some of the most important moments in their journey.

could fostering be your next chapter?

If you live in Flintshire, contact Foster Wales Flintshire and a member of our dedicated team will be in touch for a friendly, no obligation conversation to help you explore if fostering is right for you.

If you live anywhere else in Wales, visit Foster Wales for more information and to find your Flintshire fostering team.