At evolve Therapeutic Fostering, we specialise in therapeutic care.

To first time foster parents, this can sound a bit scary.

Deciding to foster is one thing, adding therapy to the mix can add another lay. But it’s much simpler than it sounds.

Let’s break down any misconceptions below.

What is Therapeutic Fostering?

Those who come into care have all faced some kind of trauma. Some experience may experience abuse or neglect, others might have experienced the loss of a parent.

Whatever the reason, being removed from your family can be traumatic.

Therapeutic fostering is unpacking everything that came before the child or young person joins your home. Then it is about putting strategies and coping techniques in place so those in your care can begin to heal and have the same opportunities as others.

This is different to therapeutic parenting, although the two can go hand in hand.

Therapeutic parenting is trying to understand the reasons for the child or young person in your care’s behaviour.  What others may see as a tantrum, or rejection, is a scared child who is unsure as to how to regulate their feelings. They may be unused to feeling safe, and so when they do, it can be disconcerting, particularly if they don’t know how to express this.

Therapeutic fostering is about teaching our foster parents how to respond to such behaviours and together creating strategies that work for everyone. It’s about putting boundaries in place, sticking to routine and structure so the young person in your care can begin to feel safe.

At evolve, we go one step further.

Therapeutic Fostering at evolve

Therapeutic parenting is as much about the foster parent as it is the child or young person in your care. Ever heard the saying ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’?

This is true for fostering.

Fostering can be hard work and if the foster parents aren’t able to look after themselves in the same way they look after their child, they may experience burnout and compassion fatigue.

That’s why, at evolve, we place huge emphasis on the importance of self-regulation and self-care; making time for yourself, still being able to do the things you enjoy.

Upon joining evolve, you will be enrolled into our 12-week Therapeutic Reparenting training programme, where you will learn…

  • about the effect of trauma on the brain
  • how to form connections
  • therapeutic parenting techniques
  • self-regulation and self-care

All by our in-house multi-disciplinary team

We also understand that fostering can affect the whole household, including birth children. That’s why we pledge to offer our support to everyone in your home, not just your looked after child.

Interested in Therapeutic Fostering?

You can find out more about Therapeutic Fostering with evolve by downloading our brochure via the ‘Downloads and Resources’ section on our website or by speaking to a member of our team on 01795 342425 today.

Fostering is a huge decision for everyone involved in your family. It is important to get it right, our team is happy to discuss any questions you may have so you can take the step into fostering with confidence.