The highs and lows of fostering

Meeting your goals with Footprints

“There are always highs and sometimes some really tough lows, but each one brings new rewards and new challenges” feel respected and trusted as well as equipped through the assessment and ongoing training process and support through getting to know other foster carers.”

IT has been made evident that there is a shortfall of foster carers in the UK to support vulnerable children that come into the care system – the shocking numbers mean that there are fewer and fewer homes to receive placements.

The hustle and bustle of a busy household can provide so much joy and fulfilment, seeing others achieve or just sharing experiences over a heart-warming breakfast. Yet, that does not mean there are no challenges involved, with any household regardless of size and make up has its own unique challenges – and that is the same for fostering households.

That is why at Footprints our goal is to keep providing foster carers with the best support and training while also helping to prevent the national shortage upscaling to an uncontrollable level by pushing the recruitment of foster carers.

Not only do you have the support you need to achieve when becoming a carer at Footprints, you will benefit from large financial rewards, and although this should not be top of the list when considering fostering it is a key contributor to ensure that carers can provide the best care possible.

Along with a monetary allowance, foster carers may be entitled to further benefits which we are happy to discuss with you in a call or visit.

When making the decision to become a foster carer, it can be a little daunting at first due to the rigorous assessment.

However, one should bear in mind that this is to safeguard our vulnerable children and young people, and ensure that standards are set high.

When children come into your life, whether that be short term or long term you know as a carer that, at some point, it is more than likely this child may move on to a more permanent home. It can be emotional to see a youngster move on but our carers highlight that it is nice to see when they become settled and happy in a new home. One carer notes such moment is “a high and a low together! … A high as we know we have made a difference in their lives, but a low, because they are leaving you”

That is why Footprints pay close attention to this transition, giving the support required for all individuals. Over the last years, more special guardianships have been approved, allowing carers to look after youngsters on a more permanent basis, this is a great outcome that Footprints are proud of.

Whether you aspire to care short-term or long-term for small children, youngsters or parents and their children, whatever your goals are, Footprints can help you to achieve them.

If you are up for a new challenge fostering could be your next step, but remember it does not always go swimmingly, but it promises rewards! That is why Footprints are the best choice for anyone that would feel content in a small supportive environment.

This is not only a difficult time for the carer, the child must also get used to a new home, and new guardians.

When choosing Footprints, you can be sure that you will be equipped with everything you need to achieve your goals. An extract from a current carer: “We

We are just a phone call away to discuss the different options. We are focused on ensuring that you as carers have the best fit placements for your household for the best sustainability possible.

Talk to Footprints today to see what options you have!

In the next article from the series, we will be exploring what inspires our wonderful foster carers!

SUMMER is upon us and it’s a beautiful time to visit! The Rangers enjoy the sunshine as it makes our outdoor work much more enjoyable, with all of us hoping that office work can wait until the winter – or the rainy days!

July is a great time to explore the wildlife we have here at the park. Along the sheltered hedgerows, Gatekeepers, Speckled Woods, Small Skippers and other butterflies can be spotted. Great Green and Dark Bushcrickets chirp their strident ‘songs’ while Bumble Bees feed on the purple spikes of Tufted Vetch. Activity on the cliffs has diminished as young Guillemots and Razorbills have left the nest – before they can fly! Shags, Herring Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls remain with their young, while Fulmars are also still feeding their late-hatching chicks. Newly fledged Peregrine Falcons and Kestrels try out their hunting skills. Further offshore, Gannets, Manx Shearwaters or even a Storm Petrel may reward an evening sea watch.

If you’re interested in more of Durlston’s wildlife, why not join us for a guided walk which run regularly through the year, as well as our brilliant ‘Glow Worm Walks’ this month!

The gallery this July is host to some fantastic exhibitions that are well worth visiting. Cathy Veale will be returning to Durlston from Thursday, July 6 to Wednesday, July 19, with her exhibition ‘Light and Reflection’ showing her paintings and prints of the

Purbeck coastline in the brilliant location of the Fine Foundation Gallery.

From Wednesday, July 26, Robin Mackenzie and Katy Harald will be joining us with their brilliant collaborative exhibition ‘The Isles: Shetland’ which will include prints paintings and drawings that feature the landscape and wildlife of the Shetland Isles. Both exhibitions running daily from 10.30am-5pm, so make sure to pop up and visit!

We have events galore lined up for July. On Saturday, July 8, we’ll be host to a fantastic ‘Wellbeing, Creativity and Nature’ workshop designed to help people reconnect with nature and explore their creativity through the photographic process of cyanotype. On top of this, on

Tuesday, July 11, Madelaine Devaney will be hosting a ‘Pen, Pencil and Ink Drawing’ workshop and on Saturday, July 15, a Glass Engraving workshop will be held. Make sure to check out the Durlston website for more information on events and how to book.

Towards the end of the month, we have the start of the children’s holidays which brings with it a whole host of kids’ activities, trails and events, as well as the return of The Enchanted Cinema on Sunday, July 30. Make sure to have a look at the programme we have in store.

For more information on events and more visit our Durlston website www. durlston.co.uk; visit the Seventhwave café website at www.7eventhwave.com