Foster carers along with all parents need to be mindful of the results of a recent survey. It has found that a third of Children in the UK are playing in isolation more. And a quarter is playing less sport. This has fuelled concerns about children’s wellbeing – especially because of the other stressors they will have experienced during the lockdowns. Over 90% of the children that were surveyed thought the way they now play has changed since the easing of lockdown. They are less active, play indoors more and by themselves. The poll, conducted by Save the Children, revealed: 92% (nine out of ten children) felt the nature of play had changed; 51% (just over half) reported they were playing outdoors with friends less; 34% (a third) described playing alone more; 23% (around a quarter) said they were playing less sport than before. 

Foster carers and parents should support the ‘Summer of Play’ campaign.

The figures above are disturbing because if children are less active, this can exacerbate negative effects on their physical and mental health. Experts in the field of child development are worried the government’s ‘catch-up’ approach designed to kick in after the pandemic, is too narrowly focused on making up lost ground academically. And this itself remains problematic: the scheme for helping disadvantaged pupils catch up after the disruption of coronavirus is regarded by many to be chaotic and confusing. This is the view of many headteachers reported in the press, before the full reopening of schools across England. Many are arguing priority should be given to children’s play along with opportunities for them to socialise over the summer holiday. A professor of child psychology at the University of Reading, Helen Dodd, stated: 

“Play with friends is a central part of childhood. It is intrinsically valuable, bringing fun and joy to children’s lives. It also offers opportunities for learning about negotiation, social skills, emotions, and relationships. Over the past year, children’s play with their friends has been restricted and there is evidence that their mental health has deteriorated. Amongst all the talk of educational catch-up, it is vital that we don’t forget that children have also missed out on play with their friends, physical activity, and fun.”

Foster carers through their training should be aware of the highly concerning rise in the rates of obesity amongst children. Back in 2019, the official figures revealed 4.4% of year six pupils in England required help for obesity. At that time, Levels of severe obesity among children in the last year of primary school were recorded as hitting an all-time high. The figures were reported as having dismayed public health experts. Problems with weight leading to obesity were on a rising trend among the youngest children identified in a special report with those aged four to five, increasing from 22.4% in the previous year to 22.6% and affecting more than 135,000 children.

More government money is being made available.

To foster more activity, the government has allocated £200m to be spent on summer schools. These will be aimed mainly at pupils who are leaving primary school to move on to year 7. The schools will put on a range of ‘enrichment activities’ which will include music, drama, team games, as well as sports. There will also be academic support available. This has garnered support from over thirty businesses and charities in the country: included are – the Arsenal Foundation and British Cycling, the Lego Foundation, Great Ormond Street hospital, and others. The organisers are asking for other organisations to get involved and along with the government take the #SummerOfPlay pledge. More information for parents and foster carers on this initiative can be found at: https://www.summerofplay.co.uk/

The director of UK impact at Save the Children, Dan Paskins, stated:

“Children across the UK and around the world have missed out on so much over the past year. Creating more opportunities for children to play is crucial for making up for some of that missed fun and helping to support their health and wellbeing as we emerge from the pandemic. We also know that for people living in poverty, accessing safe places to play can be even harder. We want to focus on creating more opportunities for children form from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.” And the chair of the organisation, Play England, Anita Grant, said: “This campaign is for the next generation’s health, happiness and wellbeing. Playing freely allows brains to think, skills to develop and creativity and imagination to flow. Now is the time to make space for play and allow children to recover.”

Foster carers will be aware of the many disadvantages that children coming into care already have. Even before the pandemic, they were already disadvantaged compared to their peers.

Why people decide to foster with Rainbow.

Deciding to help a child grow up in a safe, nurturing, and loving foster home is one of the most personally enriching and rewarding decisions you can make. It’s also one of the most responsible and life-changing. Especially as the kind of upbringing you can give a child will literally shape their lives. Providing opportunities, as well as taking an active interest in the things that matter to them, are things they will never forget. And neither will you! In order to be successful, you know that as a foster carer, you will need to be able to completely rely on your fostering service provider. Rainbow is one of the leading independent fostering agencies – established well over two decades. We have also been rated ‘Outstanding in all areas’ by Ofsted.

Professionalism, skill, and compassion are the qualities needed to be a foster carer. And you need to also add personal warmth and a sense of fun! People come into fostering from all walks of life. We welcome people of all ethnicities and cultural backgrounds into our vibrant Rainbow fostering community. To begin with, our main priority is to check an applicant’s suitability to care for a vulnerable child or young person and provide them with a secure, stable foster home. We assess suitability to foster by considering:

• Personal references;
• an applicants general background, health, and lifestyle;
• an applicant has the spare room needed for a foster child;
• an applicant’s attitude, personality, and life skills;
• whether an applicant has experience of parenting or caring for children;
• an applicant’s willingness and commitment to regular training;
• an applicant is a UK resident or has leave to remain;
• availability to foster: single carers need to be at home full-time or have a flexible part-time job – couples need to ensure one of them will be available at all times;
• an applicant’s willingness to work as part of a team.

The children we are supporting in London, Birmingham, Manchester, and parts of Hampshire are diverse and of all ages. We now urgently need foster homes for teenagers, sibling groups, and children with complex needs in all these locations. We are also increasingly asked to provide homes for young mothers and their babies – known as parent and child fostering.

At Rainbow, foster carers can earn between £1,500 and £3,000 per month depending on the type of fostering they undertake. And trained therapeutic foster carers are paid at a higher rate as they are caring for children with complex needs. We actively encourage all our foster carers to take up therapeutic training. 

Another of our blogs covering an important fostering topic:

For the latest information on staying safe visit –

 https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/coronavirus

Rainbow putting the focus on fostering.

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