Family Life

How are people in the South West celebrating Father’s Day 2021?

Father’s Day is on the horizon and, for those in the UK, it just so happens to fall on the 20th of June –the day before all lockdown restrictions are set to ease on the 21st.

So, how is this affecting plans for Father’s Day for those living in the South West? A survey carried out by gifting retailer Find Me a Gift set out to find out just that, speaking to people across the UK about how they’re spending Father’s Day in the times of COVID.

How do people in the South West feel about Father’s Day?

The survey found that almost a quarter (24%) of people in the South West are...

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Emergency foster carers needed for Devon’s most vulnerable children

Devon County Council’s fostering service, Fostering Devon, is calling for people to consider offering emergency foster care to vulnerable children.

The new ‘Emergency Bed Scheme’ provides rapid support for children and young people, aged between 0 and 18 years old, who are unable to remain living in their current home and need an immediate place of safety at a time of crisis.

Foster carers providing emergency placements must have no other children at home so that they can accept any child or young person that needs a bed for up to seven nights.

The scheme is run...

Top tips for eating out with kids

I don't know about you, but I am so excited about being able to go to restaurants again! The great British weather isn't really made for eating outdoors, so having the luxury of knowing we can definitely eat indoors is going to be bliss!

Even though we are all pretty excited, the thought of eating out with kids can fill some people with fear! Especially after all of the lockdowns, where some of our children's manners or eating habits may have been allowed to slide a little.

I always try to be as prepared as I can to eat out with my littles ones, so today I thought I...

Foster carers needed to stem the current shortfall across Exeter

A fostering organisation and social enterprise is encouraging more people to think about offering safe and loving homes to vulnerable children and young people as new figures suggest people across the South West of England are unaware of the true number of children and young people referred to social services.

This comes as the country gears up for Foster Care Fortnight, an annual campaign that raises the profile of fostering which runs from Monday 10th – Sunday May 23rd.

A report commissioned by Five Rivers Child Care , an independent fostering organisation and social...

What about children in Devon's separated families who want to hug BOTH their parents?

Free one hour co-parenting Zoom support meeting

As hugs return to our lives, a leading national charity whose HQ is in Exeter is urging separated families across Devon to ensure the children get the chance to hug both their parents.

For over a year, separated families have adapted parenting arrangements as best they could. Restrictions meant many children didn’t see one of their parents for many months on end, and for some even longer. Temporary arrangements were made, with thousands of children making do with using video conference apps.

“Now is the time to rebuild co-...

Birthday planning tips for your little princess

Are you nervous about planning the upcoming birthday party for your little princess? Or maybe you have no idea how to start.

We feel you.

Planning any party can often be daunting. No wonder we always tend to feel overwhelmed while attempting to organise a "perfect party".

If your princess is under ten years or less, you have the extra burden of planning a safe, happy and successful party for young children guests who may be cranky or just plain unruly. Many questions will arise like:

Will you have enough food?
How will you keep track of

In Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, there are currently 20 sibling groups waiting for adoptive families.

Devon adoption agencies need families for brothers and sisters who need to stay together

Just under half of children waiting for adoption are in family groups of two or more with 20 groups waiting in Devon

Latest figures show there are currently 2,020 children waiting to be adopted in England and, of those, 44% are in family groups of two or more. Groups of children wait an average of 17 months to be adopted, which is 36% longer (135 days more) than individual children. More than half of these groups (56%) even wait more than 18 months for their new family. For many potential adopters, this is due to groups being slightly older and worries about financial affordability,...

Four ideas for a fun family reunion

As the lockdown restrictions start to relax cautiously, you might be planning on hosting a family reunion later on in the summer. Doing this will allow you to catch up properly with your family and celebrate getting through the tough coronavirus lockdown. However, hosting a family reunion does take some planning to ensure that everyone has an enjoyable time. To ensure that your party is memorable for all the right reasons, here are four ideas for a fun family reunion that you should include.

Food

Food is an essential part of any get-together, allowing people...

Free advice for single parents still struggling with reverberations from the pandemic

A Devon family law specialist has teamed up with single parent champions Gingerbread to provide helpful advice for ongoing issues caused by Covid-19.

Even though restrictions are beginning to ease, for single parents across the UK the impact of the pandemic on day to day life has caused immeasurable additional pressures, many of which continue one year down the line.

To help them navigate some of the key issues, The Family Law Company is offering a free webinar.

Senior Associate Solicitor Imran Khodabocus and Associate Solicitor Hannah Porter will be discussing...

LGBT+ people across Devon urged to explore adoption as a potential parenting route

LGBT+ people across the South West are being urged to explore adoption as a potential parenting route as a part of a national campaign launching today (1 March).

With 80,000 children in care in 2020 in England alone, LGBT+ Adoption & Fostering Week brings together local adoption agencies and potential new LGBT+ adoptive families. The campaign is led by LGBT+ focused agency New Family Social, with support from local adoption charity Families for Children.

Families for Children, based in Devon, ran a hugely successful campaign last year in encouraging LGBT+ people to...

Building a positive relationship with your spouse - within a pandemic or not

If you’ve ever looked at an old married couple and wondered how they’ve managed to keep their love alive for so long, you’re not alone. And with COVID things have challenged many couples. Though divorce rates have fallen . We’re all looking for ways to make our relationships more meaningful and resilient. While there may not be a secret formula for happy relationships, there are some steps every couple can take to try to enrich theirs.

The first step in building a positive relationship with your spouse is to make sure this is really the person you want to build one with....

Family Life

How are people in the South West celebrating Father’s Day 2021?

Emergency foster carers needed for Devon’s most vulnerable children

Top tips for eating out with kids

Foster carers needed to stem the current shortfall across Exeter

What about children in Devon's separated families who want to hug BOTH their parents?

Birthday planning tips for your little princess

Devon adoption agencies need families for brothers and sisters who need to stay together

Four ideas for a fun family reunion

Free advice for single parents still struggling with reverberations from the pandemic

LGBT+ people across Devon urged to explore adoption as a potential parenting route

Building a positive relationship with your spouse - within a pandemic or not

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