What they may be feeling:
- Uncertain
- Stressed
- Helpless
- Overwhelmed
- Protective
Nourishing the sparks of connection whilst your child is in care, or not living with you
Children thrive when they are surrounded by people who love them. When parents know what is happening for their child, they can support them and the adults around them to make the most of Family Time*/ Contact.
* Family Time is the preferred term for the contact that children in care, or not living with them, have with their family members.
| Your child may be trying to: |
|
| What they may be feeling: |
|
| Parents can help by: |
|
| What you might be feeling: |
|
Strengthening all the sparks of connection
How parents can support the carers looking after their child and improve Family Time* / Contact.
* Family Time is the preferred term for the contact that children in care, or not living with them, have with their family members.
Your child’s carer may be:
- Balancing care needs of multiple children
- Lacking information about your child’s history
- Getting to know your child
- Following agency rules
- Lacking certainty about how long your child will stay with them
Parents can help by:
- Suggesting a meeting with carers and professionals
- Showing you want to help your child settle in
- Being open about your goals and feelings
- Listening to their goals and feelings
- Suggesting that you have a communication book
- Sending letters/photos to update them and your child
The professionals working with your child may be:
- Balancing the needs of multiple families
- Following policies and procedures
- Experiencing burnout and stress
- Continuing to develop skills and knowledge
- Facing time or resource pressures
- Coping with staffing shortages
What they may be feeling:
- Frustrated that they can’t make things better
- Pressured by the agency
- Blamed by families for past decisions
Parents can help by:
- Suggesting how professionals can support you and your child
- Allowing them time to respond to your queries
- Keeping records of agreements
- Being open about your concerns
- Giving details of your culture, values, beliefs
- Updating them on changes to your situation if appropriate
- Asking for advance notice of staff changes
This resource has been produced by Adoption England. This resource is based on a series developed by the research Centre for Children & Families, Sydney School of Education & Social Work and the ARC Linkage Project Fostering Lifelong Connections for Children in Permanent Care. The original resource was co-designed with experts-by-experience, Tegan Whittaker and Chantelle Rozzi.