The last year has been particularly stressful for foster carers and children alike. The weather didn’t help as the rain and cold has been our constant companion for the past nine months but over the past week, the sun and warmth has welcomed us into summer and has been a welcome change for half term. The children have been eager to get out of their homes and socialise, so we came up with a plan to benefit each of our foster families.
We put lots of thought into local activities so that we could find the perfect day out that was exciting for everyone. We decided on Go Kidz Go so that those with excess energy from a year’s isolation could release it in a fun environment. Before we could invite everyone, we wanted to make sure that it was safe for everyone, so we visited ahead of time to do a risk assessment and visit the staff. Everything looked fun so we knew we’d picked the right location!
We created a colourful poster inviting everyone to Go Kidz Go and sent it out to our families, and were overwhelmed with the positive responses. We were all really looking forward to seeing the families together after so much time.
On Tuesday, we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day, and before we knew it, it was time to welcome the children at Go Kidz Go. Everyone was eager to get in and play in the activity centre, full of slides, ball pits and climbing walls. You could see the happy smiles on everyone’s faces as they played together. We took a break for lunch where the children enjoyed either a chicken or veggie burger meal with chips and a drink.
At the end of the day, we welcomed the foster carers back to the venue after having had a break; we realise this has been hard on the carers as well as the children and everyone needed some time to themselves. When saying goodbye to the families, one young boy mentioned that he didn’t want to leave and told us he wished Go Kidz Go was his home!
With the five outcomes in mind, we could tick off two for the day’s activities: economic wellbeing and enjoyment.
We’re all eagerly waiting for the next trip out! We hope to see you again soon.
