We've been busy at Freedom HQ during lockdown, and this includes our amazing foster carers who have remained positive and motivated during this unprecedented situation during COVID-19. The most important thing to the team has been to maintain consistency for the young people in our care, whilst keeping up with school work and providing a [...]
Research suggests father-child play at an early age could benefit children as they get older Children whose fathers spend time playing with them at a very early age may find it easier to control their behaviour and emotions, which has a beneficial impact as they get older and start school, according to a new study. Research [...]
Two mothers describe their mixed feelings about sending their children back into classrooms Jane, 42, from Derbyshire, has two children – a daughter in primary school and son in secondary. “It’s been really difficult to motivate my kids and keep them focused, because they’re surrounded by home comforts and distractions. I’m working from home, so I can’t [...]
Councils warn they face pressures on ‘staggering scale’ as data shows there were 646,120 referrals to children’s services last year – equating to 1,770 referrals per day A child is referred to social services every 49 seconds in England and Wales, figures show, prompting urgent calls that a lack of funding is leading to “catastrophe” for the next [...]
Leading fostering agency reports 44 per cent rise in referrals as social workers warn heightened financial and mental health pressures during lockdown are leading to higher levels of child abuse and neglect Foster care is in a “state of emergency” as the number of referrals rockets while the number of people looking to take children in has [...]
Data shows 55% of offences where the means of communication was given involved firm’s apps More than half of online grooming offences recorded under a law that made it illegal to send sexual messages to children were committed on Facebook-owned apps, figures reveal. The data, obtained by the NSPCC under freedom of information laws, show 10,019 [...]
As children begin to return to school, some parents will be preparing their first packed lunches. But don’t panic – here’s how to make it go smoothly. After more than two months of shutdown, schools are starting to reopen their gates to children without key-worker parents. However, some schools have not yet reopened their kitchens. If you have [...]
It’s never too early to learn that racism is wrong and we should be doing something about it. These books will help show our kids how, writes publisher and bookseller Aimée Felone The weight of the world seems heavier than ever right now. The incomprehensible killing of George Floyd has shone a bright light, yet [...]
TikTok is a free social media app designed for creating and sharing short music videos. It replaces the Musical.ly app that shut down in August 2018 having all of its 100 million users transferred to TikTok. What is TikTok? Developed in China, TikTok is used for creating, sharing and discovering music videos. It is like [...]
The annual celebration of foster care is 11 to 24 May 2020. Every day 55,000 foster families across the UK are offering 65,000 fostered children and young people a loving, secure and stable home, and this commitment from foster families is ongoing during the coronavirus outbreak. Freedom Fostering is using this opportunity to raise awareness [...]
