Julie Johnson assesses the impact of schools’ spending on looked-after children John was adopted six months ago and each school day he struggles to leave his parents. He has a history of neglect, of being left unattended for long periods of time. As a baby he learnt that crying was of no use as adults did not come to help him and did not meet his needs. He was fostered at the age of three and moved to three further foster placements before being placed with his new family, now aged seven. He is settling well at home but separation at the school door each day is incredibly difficult. He likes h ..read more

Jane Poore and Hetty Verhagen provide tips for making school a better experience for adopted children. Most children who are adopted in the UK, were removed from their birth parents’ care through child protection procedures. Some were in foster care from when they were born, while others started life with their birth families and have vivid memories of this time. The reasons why children come into care are complex. Many have had early traumatic experiences due to abuse, neglect, domestic abuse or parental alcohol and substance abuse. Parental mental health, learning disabilities and poverty of ..read more

Karina Auer offers a glimpse into the world of parents fostering children with SEN Every day, over 65,000 children in the UK are living with almost 55,000 foster families and every 20 minutes another child comes into care. In the next 12 months, a further 8,600 foster carers are needed to ensure that every child in foster care can be matched with a family that meets their needs.  A wider pool of foster carers is required right across the UK, to guarantee that children can live with a family that do not only have the skills and experience to care for them but are also a good “match ..read more

David Eggboro discovers how fostering a child with SEN offers great rewards despite the challenges There are currently more than 65,000 children living with almost 55,000 foster families across the UK each day and there is a need for more than 8,000 new fostering families in the UK over the next 12 months.  Because a disproportionate number of children in care have a physical or learning disability, many foster carers look after a child with additional needs and there is a particular need for more foster carers who have the relevant skills to care for a child with complex needs. The exper ..read more

Being single and openly lesbian, Alison always knew she’d adopt a child. I had always worked in the special education sector and I wanted to use my experience to give a disabled child in care the chance to have a loving home and family. When I was in my twenties, I went through the process of adoption for the very first time. Instead of being nervous, I found the whole process so exciting and remember pacing the docks at Preston in anticipation. My dream was about to come true; one I feared may never happen. Timmy had cerebral palsy and severe learning disabilities. He’d al ..read more

Fostering an autistic child can be a rewarding experience, but it does come with challenges, especially as change can be a trigger for difficult behaviour. The key attribute for foster parents of children with ASD is patience. Be empathetic to their situation and be resilient. Children are often confused and scared when moving into a new home environment, and they may also feel anger and resentment towards being taken away from their birth family. For foster children with ASD, this sudden change and unknown environment is likely to be extremely distressing. So it is important to be able t ..read more

Dominic Stevenson talks about how fostering can be one of the most varied, challenging and rewarding job you could do. Around 2,500 children in care are currently living with foster carers who are specially trained and supported to help their families manage their disabilities. On top of this, every year around 30,000 more children coming into care each year across the UK. That is why we need to recruit more skilled foster carers to ensure that every child has a foster carer who can meet their needs and help them flourish. It could be you. Could you be one of them? Fostering is one of the most ..read more

Rebecca Brooks reveals what a major new report says about the educational experiences of adopted children with SEN Children who have been adopted from care are more likely than their peers to have a range of complex and overlapping special educational needs, and are less likely to move to positive destinations after leaving school. This is a finding of The Adoption Barometer, a new report from Adoption UK. Previous research by the charity in 2017 had already established that adopted children were over-represented in SEN statistics and were more likely to have an education, health and care (EHC ..read more

Becky White talks to parents about the challenges of adopting a child with SEN and supporting them through school Whether they knowingly adopt a child with special needs, or discover hidden needs later on, many adoptive parents will experience raising a child who faces additional challenges. At the age of six, Callum already had a statement of SEN when Sarah adopted him. Having spent years teaching in alternative provision, she felt sure that she would be able to meet his needs as soon as she saw his profile, and wanted to put her experience to good use not only in being his adoptive parent, b ..read more