The John Lewis Christmas advert in 2022 did an excellent job of raising awareness of Christmas as a foster carer and how to make a foster child feel welcome. We spoke to foster carers to ask about experiences of Christmas.
"One of my friends fostered a young lad and asked him if they could write a Christmas list together ready for Christmas. He asked them what they meant. They explained that at Christmas time, children write down what they might like to get for Christmas. He told them, 'Last year, Mum forgot it was Christmas, so I got a pound and a Pot Noodle'. Viv, Foster Carer.
Gift ideas for foster parents - how much do foster children get for Christmas?
Gift-giving can take a little extra thought as a foster carer at Christmas. While it's only natural to want the children in your care to feel special, receiving piles of gifts can be overwhelming. Use any knowledge you have about past Christmas times as a starting point. Foster carers often spread gift opening over the day or a few days. Christmas can sometimes leave children feeling different, which is why many extended family members of foster families often choose to give gifts to all children in the household, not just birth children.
