Child Contact PRACTICE PONDER WORKBOOK for Foster Carers

As a foster carer, you no doubt would have been aware of the expectation that you play your part in ensuring the children you care for, where appropriate and agreed with Children Services, will have contact with their birth parents, family and significant friends. Foster carers are expected to support reasonable contact arrangements. Your role is imperative as these times are quite stressful for the children. By being emotionally available to the children to talk and support before (sometimes during), and after transporting and escorting. The role you play will help in lessening the anxiety the child experiences. It’s also worth noting it’s often a stressful time for you, being well organised will help with this.

This workbook is for foster carers and any other childcare worker involved in child contact work. It aims to increase your knowledge, skills and provides you with a few useful tools in child contact. It’s a large workbook and my hope is that carers and other practitioners will work through it at their pace and complete exercises to enhance their practice and demonstrate continuing practice development.