Foster care providers will have been seeing a spate of news headlines over recent weeks which testify to the altered world we now live in. The effects of the coronavirus pandemic were immediate but now we are seeing a range of impacts that will be far reaching. In this blog series we look at specific issues, challenges and impacts as they affect Children whilst the country tries, albeit falteringly, to emerge from the pandemic’s worst effects.  

As we all try to readjust to this new world in which we live one of the most insidious things about the pandemic is just how vulnerable it has made the nation’s children. Foster carers are well used to looking after disadvantaged young people but these – compare across the country as a whole – were proportionately few in number. Covid has meant that huge numbers of children have become extremely vulnerable in a range of different ways. Today, many face becoming a ‘lost generation’. And this warning has been issued in only the last few weeks by SAGE, the government’s own advisory body. 

Foster children, like all their peers, will have been affected by school closures: ten million schoolchildren in the UK saw their schools being closed. Aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus, it was the first shutdown of its type in British history. It led to chaos in the exam system and worry and uncertainty for thousands of pupils who had been expecting to sit exams.

Highly respected child specialists have queued up to issue stark warnings about the effects on children and young people. Cathy Creswell is professor of developmental clinical psychology at Oxford University and she has a range of concerns. Hers is an urgent message, research has shown that 1 in 6 children in England aged between 5 to 16 have a probable mental issue. Covid 19 have been identified as the aggravating factors. Dr Dasha Nicholls, part of a You-Cope study into the wellbeing and general health of young people during the pandemic hold the view – 

“This generation is entering uncharted territory, where their opportunities have been devastated. People talk of the resilience of the young but this crisis has happened so quickly that young people have had no time to change and adapt. The impact on them could become entrenched, with potentially enduring consequences.”

These thoughts are echoed by professor Russell Viner – the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. He also sits on a children’s working group for SAGE: his opinion – “This is a generation under threat. It will be catastrophically, disproportionately hit and harmed by the loss of economic and social opportunities as a direct result of the pandemic.”

Foster carers will need to understand the main factors affecting mental health.

The lockdown has shown that loneliness should be considered a key risk factor. This can have a profound impact on the mental wellbeing of children and young people. Although lockdown has been a shared experience for children, they nonetheless experienced loneliness. The loss of peer group support has occurred during significant developmental stages where peer interaction is important for brain development, self concept construction and, ultimately the mental wellbeing of a young person.

One of the most important considerations has to be centred on the impact lockdown has had on the relational family contexts in which children have had to isolate. And it must be stressed that parents will also have been subject to particular pressures and worries. Their Mental Health and wellbeing is an important part of the equation. Households that were already experiencing strains and pressures once under lockdown experienced these even more intensely. This has meant that witnessing traumatic events such as violence, neglect and abuse has increased with no opportunity for escape. Seeing parents struggle with issues such as alcohol or substance misuse – perhaps combined with other mental health problems will have impacted severely on children.

In significant numbers of households around the country that were just about coping before the pandemic, its impacts will have been the final straw. Many more children and young people that might have been able to remain, with support, with their families have been unable to do so. 

Future lockdowns.

Although children are now back at school subsequent lockdowns could still impact on their mental health in a variety of different ways. They may still be experiencing increased levels of anxiety. Their lives may continue to be disrupted with familiar routines compromised. Children can suffer from a mix of conflicting feelings – sometimes experiencing boredom and then anxiety perhaps brought on by conflict at home. Young children especially can feel lonely or confused. And children with existing mental health conditions may find that these are further exacerbated by lockdown. Research has shown that 54% of children with a mental health disorder reported that their lives had been made worse by living under lockdown. And the parents of these children reported their child was more likely to be stressed by fears either of themselves catching coronavirus or their family or friends.

All this means a huge challenge for foster care service providers. There has been an ongoing shortage of foster carers for many years. The effects of the pandemic are seeing more children coming into the care of local authorities. There is an urgent need to recruit more foster carers which is unlikely to go away any time soon.

Have you ever wondered about a career in foster care.

You might have been considering fostering for a while or maybe it’s a recent idea. Whichever it is, the first stage will be to call us on 0330 3112845 for an initial chat with one of our fostering advisors. It usually only takes a few questions to discover if fostering is likely to be the right career for you. You will not be pressured into making a decision – we want all our applicants to take their time. After all, deciding to foster is a big decision. If you decide to continue we would, under usual circumstances, arrange to visit you in your home. Because of the pandemic, we are undertaking ‘virtual’ online visits over Skype. This means there is now nothing to delay your application: one of our advisors will give you all the assistance you might need to set this up. This will give you the chance to ask more questions and us the chance to assess if you have the space necessary. You will need as a minimum to have a spare room available for a foster child. 

To foster: you don’t have to own your home, you don’t have to be a married couple and you don’t have to be straight. At Rainbow Fostering; although the legal minimum age to foster is eighteen, our minimum age is twenty-one. All we ask at Rainbow is that you have a genuine interest in supporting a child to reach their full potential.

Today’s recommended blog can be found at:

As children and young people have returned to nurseries, schools and universities, it’s important to check the latest advice and guidance to stay safe and well. Make sure you regularly 

visit – https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/coronavirus All our agency contact details and office locations can be found via the link below. If you prefer, you can leave your contact details and arrange for a member of our team to call you back at a time to suit you. We look forward to hearing from you soon! And remember Hands, Face, Space. http://rainbowfostering.co.uk/contact/

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