Foster Carer Memories for Child’s Life Story Book

Name of Foster Carers:

Address:

Name of child:

Child’s date of birth:

Were you the child’s primary Foster Carer or respite Foster Carer?

Date placement commenced:

Date placement ended:

If respite care, the period respite was provided for and the frequency, e.g. once a fortnight on a Sunday:

Names of foster family members including other children in placement, significant others and pets:

Did the child have their own bedroom? If not, whom did they share with, description of décor etc:

Did the child come to you from their birth family or a foster placement? Was it a planned move? What kind of day was it? What are you first memories of meeting the child?

Any memories of the first days / weeks the child was with you?

What did the child call you at home and in public (did the child not want certain people to know they were looked after? Any nicknames with reasons:

What did you call the child? Any nicknames with reasons:

How would you describe the child physically?

How would you describe the child’s personality?

What were the child’s favourite things at the time, e.g. food, drink, clothes, toys, TV programme, book, place, music, comforter, football team etc.

Do you have any particular family rituals/traditions/celebrations? e.g. meal times, bed times etc.

Did you take the child on holiday? If so where to, when, child’s response, memories:

Name of child’s school/nursery including teacher’s name, favourite subjects, activities and friend’s names, reports, participation in assemblies/plays, positive comments from staff etc.

Important milestones and developments the child achieved whilst with you, e.g. first step, first tooth, rode a bike, spelt name, etc.

Did the child have any illness whilst with you, e.g. chicken pox?

What was the child’s understanding of why they lived with you and did this change over time?

How did the child show their worries/anxiety whilst they lived with you, e.g. any sleeping or eating difficulties, behaviours etc. Did this change over time?

Did the child have contact with birth family? If so, with whom and how did the child react before and after contact?

Have you met any of the child’s birth family? If so, how would you describe them?

Did the child have any regular contact with other professionals, e.g. play therapist; if so what was their name, circumstances etc.

Did the child celebrate their birthday whilst they lived with you? Details of gifts, party, birthday cake, memories:

Did you celebrate Christmas whilst the child lived with you? Details of gifts, traditions, memories:

Did the child attend any organised groups i.e. Toddler group / Beavers/ Brownies? Details:

Any other festivals/public celebrations whilst the child lived with you e.g. Halloween, Easter, Queen’s Jubilee, Olympics etc. Details and memories:

Do you have any fond and or funny anecdotes and memories of the child?

What was the child told and what was their understanding as to why they moved to a different placement/carer?

What was the child’s response to the potential adopter’s book and DVD? How in addition did you familiarise the child with the potential adopters:

Who attended the initial meeting between the child and potential adopters? Do you have any significant memories and stories from that meeting?

What are your memories and stories from the period of introductions between the child and potential adopters?

How as a family did you mark the child leaving to live with their potential adopters?

Is there any other information that would be helpful to know about and mention in the child’s life story book?

Please write a message to be incorporated into the child’s life story book. If you would like to write a letter in your own handwriting to be included in the book please submit with this document and indicate below that you have done so. (A scanned copy will be used in the book and the original copy will be passed to the child).

Please listthe items you have put in the child’s ‘Memory Box’:

Notes on Photographs:

Digital photographs can be uploaded directly into the life story books and provide a higher quality picture opposed to a paper copy which loses quality in the scanning process.

With significant photographs please list the number of the photograph and provide the detail of where it was taken, who was in it, the occasion if applicable and the date it was taken where possible. Please indicate how many photograph disks have been provided to Social Worker.

Number / Description
Number / Description

Please continue on further sheets as required.