Family Life

Fostered children lend their voice to new recruitment campaign

Devon County Council has produced three animations using the real voices of young people who now live in foster care.

It's the first time real voices of fostered teens have been used to help promote their fostering service.

The council hopes it will prompt people who have thought about becoming foster parents to come forward to help fill a shortfall, and encourage others to consider it.

The digital campaign features three incredible young people - Bobby, Rosie and Phill.

Phill wants to go to University or join the Navy.

"When I first moved in I...

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How to make raising a large family easier

Raising a large family can be difficult, especially when you are trying to juggle the needs and schedules of multiple people at once. Then, to make sure that you can make raising a large family easier and improve your family life, here is a selection of some of the best top tips for large families.

Invest in a Large, Reliable Car

When you have a large family, one of the most important necessities that you should have is a large and reliable car. Not only will a spacious car ensure that you can go on family day trips and even the school run without a problem...

How to Get Your Dream Family Life on a Budget

Sometimes, it can seem impossible to get the life you have always dreamed of for your family, especially if you have financial worries. However, it is possible to give your family the wonderful life they deserve no matter how much money you have. Then, here are some top tips that can allow your family to get their dream life on a budget.

Invest in a Used Car

When you imagined having a family of your own, along with the perfect home, you might also have dreamed about the perfect car. Although you might not believe that a vehicle can be essential to your family’s happiness, getting...

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...

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.