Father's Day for Foster Children
Father’s Day will be widely celebrated in the UK this year on Sunday 21st June. A happy occasion for most, days like Father’s Day can be difficult for some people for a number of reasons. Those who have lost their fathers or who perhaps have a strained relationship can find days like this particularly challenging as other around them celebrate.
Many children in care will experience uncomfortable feelings around days like Fathers Day. If a foster child has had a tricky relationship with their birth father, they may not wish to acknowledge the day at all. Likewise, it can also be difficult if they do wish to celebrate their foster father and are unsure how to do so appropriately. As a foster carer, if you are in need of advice as to how to approach the day, it may be worth contacting your social worker or even fellow foster carers to discuss their experience of the day.
The most important thing to do is to talk openly and honestly about the day ahead of time, not just with foster children but with your whole family, especially if you have other children in the household who may wish to mark the day.
There is no ‘ordinary’ way to celebrate occasions like Father’s Day and just like any other ‘special’ occasion, it can be a brilliant bonding experience to create new traditions with your fostering family. If you and your family don’t wish to celebrate traditionally, you could instead celebrate other caregivers, or notable people, in your fostering family’s life.
