News & Blogs

Nancy*, a foster parent based on the outskirts of Stafford, has been fostering for 20 years and wants to inspire others to do the same. Nancy’s fostering journey started when a member of her family sadly passed away, and the father of two children needed support in providing care through the difficult time. During this … “The Best Part of Fostering? Seeing Children Blossom Like Flowers”

In light of recent Government social distancing instructions, we have amended our recruitment and assessment processes, to ensure we can still recruit new fostering family during this difficult time. During this unprecedented period, we know many children are still in need of good foster care and as we are all uncertain how long social distancing … Fostering Assessments with Clifford House During Social Distancing

A message from our CEO, Jo August. At Clifford House, we take the health and safety of our children and young people, foster families and employees very seriously. Following Government advice as a precautionary measure, from Monday 23rd March we have decided to close all of our offices until further notice. We believe that we all … Our Response to COVID-19

Earlier this month, we celebrated the festive season by taking our foster parents and children to a Christmas pantomime. We wanted to help as many of our families get into the Christmas spirit, so we arranged two separate events; Snow White in Worcester and Cinderella in Hereford. Two very different productions which were enjoyed by … Magical Night at the Christmas Panto

We have been busy collecting food to help those in need during the festive season. The Trussell Trust has revealed that December 2018 was the busiest month for food banks across the UK last year. During the month, 186,185 three-day emergency parcels were provided and 78,536 of these were for children. This is an upsetting … Clifford House Donates Over 60 Items to Food Bank This Christmas

Earlier this year, we held a fantastic awards event to celebrate the incredible achievements of our children and foster parents. The sun was shining and it was a day of celebration for all our wonderful children – we had ice cream and burger vans, a bouncy castle, slides and a giant football dart game, which … Celebrating Children’s Achievements

This is the third article in our Foster Carer Finance Guide, which aims to provide foster carers with a better understanding of all things Tax, National Insurance and their Benefit Entitlements. We’ve previously discussed foster carer tax and self-assessments and whether foster carers have to pay National Insurance, and now we hope to shed some … How Does Fostering Affect Your Benefits?

This article is part of our Foster Carer Finance Guide, which aims to provide foster carers with a better understanding of all things Tax, National Insurance and their Benefit Entitlements. We’ve previously discussed foster carer tax and self-assessments and this article hopes to help you gain a better understanding of national insurance for foster carers. … Guide to Foster Carer National Insurance

Tax, National Insurance and benefit entitlements may seem like a total minefield for many foster carers. We’ve put together a series of articles in our Foster Carer Finance Guide, to help you gain a better understanding of the tax, NI and benefits world, so you can focus your energy on the children in your care. … Guide to Foster Carer Tax & Self-Assessment

Lisa* and her partner David* were introduced to the idea of fostering over 18 years ago, when a close friend became a carer. The couple loved the idea of giving back to society, decided to take the plunge in the year 2000 and have been happily fostering ever since. In 2016, we were honoured to … Lisa’s Fostering Journey

 This is the third post in our Handy Guide to a Successful First Placement, sharing great advice from our experienced foster carers on how to support your own children when fostering. It’s no secret that becoming a foster carer changes your family dynamic in some form, particularly with your own children. One day they have … How to Support Your Own Children When Fostering

This is the second post in our Handy Guide to a Successful First Placement, sharing great advice from our experienced foster carers about important things to do on the first day with a foster child to help them feel settled. The day you’ve been waiting for is finally here; you’re about to have your first … Things to do the First Day with a Foster Child