At The Acorns

14/02/2026

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐘 💕

Could fostering be your first true love?

Earn up to £520 week per child

𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞?

Contact our friendly team today

☎01325 485143

13/02/2026

𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐘'𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 ...

By telling the stories of our foster children, we find that this helps to give an appreciation of what it is like to be in foster care and how foster carers can make such a tangible difference to a child's life.

If you are thinking of becoming a foster carer or are perhaps a foster carer already then have a quick read of Lucy's story.

Several years ago we had a married couple that were approved as foster carers. They wanted to work with an independent fostering agency like us as they liked the idea of the wraparound support that we offer along with the specialist training provided.

Approximately six months after approval, they received their first long-term placement referral. Lucy was 12 at the time and had been in care for nearly three years. Lucy had moved between a few foster homes.

By the time Lucy arrived at her new foster home, she was guarded, fiercely independent, and convinced placements never lasted.

The first evening, Lucy unpacked her belongings quickly and asked, “How long do you think I’ll be here?” Our foster carers answered honestly. “As long as you need to be.”

Our fostering agency arranged enhanced support from the start. A supervising social worker visited regularly and Lucy was offered therapeutic support too. We coordinated day-to-day guidance for our foster carers.

𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋 🏫

School was one of the biggest challenges. Lucy had fallen behind and was at risk of exclusion due to confrontations with peers. Our foster carers worked closely with the school’s Designated Teacher for Looked After Children and also attended regular Personal Education Plan (PEP) meetings.

𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 🏡

At home, our foster carers focused less on “fixing” behaviour and more on connection. Friday evenings became takeaway-and-film nights. Sundays meant cooking a roast together, with Lucy in charge of dessert.

Don't get us wrong, there were setbacks. Door got slammed, harsh words were said but ultimately there were major breakthroughs.

doors slammed, harsh words said—but there were breakthroughs too.

𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐌 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 💕

After a year in placement, it became clear that reunification wasn’t possible for Lucy. We supported a formal matching process to ensure everyone agreed this would be Lucy's permanent home for the longer term.

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 - 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 ⬆

By the time Lucy was 15, she was predicted strong GCSE results.

At her GCSE results day, she hugged our foster carers in the school car park and said, “This is all down to you..”

We have continued to provide staying put guidance as Lucy has approached her adulthood years. Lucy now works part-time while studying at college.

If the story of Lucy has inspired you to try fostering the we would love to hear from you.

Contact our friendly team today

☎01325 485143

09/02/2026

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗙𝗢𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘

What a great video.

Over the weekend we came across this video on YouTube. It highlights the importance of attachment in foster care.

Give it a watch 📽

If you are a foster carer or a foster child, it will be very relatable

🔗https://youtu.be/-z2vo4l1NQk?si=02HJ5hhd89C7RXeJ

Noah’s Campaign - Preventing broken attachments through care ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ originates from an African proverb and con...

06/02/2026

𝗔𝗡 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛 🖥

Did anyone see Sarah Thomas, Chief Exec of The Fostering Network on BBC Breakfast talking about the government's new fostering strategy?

It is still sad that there are so many 'Myths' out there that are preventing prospective foster carers coming forward.

The more that we dispell these myths and the more we create awareness of the need for more foster carers to come forward, the better opportunity we have of helping so many children that are in need.

Have a watch if you like by clicking on the link below.

🔗

Our Chief Executive, Sarah Thomas, appeared live on BBC Breakfast this morning to discuss the Government’s new fostering strategy. 📺 She was joined by Amy, who powerfully shared her experience of entering foster care at the age of 14. Sarah highlighted how myths and misunderstandings about who ...

04/02/2026

𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬.

Ever wondered what the state of foster care is like in the UK right now?

Here are the facts and figures

👉70,000+

Children live with foster families in the UK every day.

👉100,000+

Children are in care across the UK and need safe homes.

👉67%

Of children in care rely on foster families for stability.

👉12% fewer

Foster carers now compared to recent years.

👉Thousands needed

New foster carers are urgently needed every year.

The only prerequisites you need to have are:

✔You must be at least 21 years old (most providers won’t accept applications younger than this).

✔You must be a full-time resident in the UK or have indefinite leave to remain / right to work here.

✔You need a spare bedroom for a foster child — large enough for a single bed and belongings.

✔You must have sufficient time and flexibility to care for a child or young person, including attending appointments, school runs, meetings and contact sessions.

𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐃𝐌

☎01325 485143

02/02/2026

𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓?

People in retirement are often excellent foster carers, and it’s something we actively encourage.

Here are 7 reasons why retirees tend to be such a good fit:

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

Retirees usually have flexible schedules and fewer work commitments. This is important because Foster children often need help with:

👍School runs

👍Meetings with social workers

👍Therapy or health appointments

𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 & 𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘

Retirement often comes with decades of experience in parenting or caring for other, managing conflict and stress and building trust and routines.

Many foster children have experienced trauma, and calm, emotionally grounded carers make a real difference.

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 & 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐘

Retired carers can offer a predictable, steady home environment.

That stability is especially important for children who’ve experienced instability or multiple placements.

𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐒

Retirees often have Grown-up children, extended family and have established community ties. These networks can provide emotional and practical support for both carer and child.

𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄

While foster carers are paid allowances, retirees may be less financially dependent on fostering income.

This can reduce stress and allow carers to focus more fully on the child’s needs.

𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 & 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄

Many retired people bring a longer-term outlook and greater patience. They’re often better equipped to handle challenging behaviour without reacting emotionally.

𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 & 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

Retirees are often more able to commit long-term, whether that’s long-term fostering, short-term or emergency placements or respite care, this reliability is incredibly valuable to fostering services like ours.

𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀 𝐅𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐘𝐎𝐔.

☎01325 485143

30/01/2026

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗠𝗨𝗖𝗛 𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗜 𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡 𝗜𝗙 𝗜 𝗙𝗢𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗜𝗡 2026?

By becoming a foster carer you can earn up to £520 per week per child.

If you are over the age of 21, have a spare room and have a legal right to live and work in the UK then you already meet the initial requirements.

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 ?

Whatever your question, our team is here to help.

We are in desperate need of more foster carers to come forward.

☎01325 485143

28/01/2026

𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 !!!

Have you heard the news?

Young people with care experience will no longer have to pay to apply to university or college. 🎓

Care-experienced students remain under-represented in further and higher education.

This latest news is an important step towards removing barriers and helping more care leavers apply to college and university.

The Fostering Network has produced an excellent blog featuring useful resources from organisations across the UK to support young people with care experience on your educational journey:

Read more here

🔗https://bit.ly/4rcrinB

Our campaign encourages people with care experience to tick the box on their UCAS application to say they have spent time in care. This will ensure they get all the support they may need to enter and thrive at college or university.  

26/01/2026

𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗢𝗡 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗙𝗢𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗗 😊

When we see our foster children smiling, their smile makes a lot of sense. It is a powerful thing to notice and fills us with great pride.

People often assume foster care memories must be painful, but for many, looking back with warmth happens for some very real reasons:

🧠 You remember safety and stability

❤️ You felt seen or cared for

🌱 You associate it with growth or becoming yourself

🧩You have made peace with that chapter

🤝 Relationships mattered more than the system

When we people smile and open up about their time in foster care, it is always great to hear that this chapter gave them something good.

Could you be that person that makes a child smile and gives them something good?

If the answer is YES then our friendly team would love to have a chat with you.

☎01325 485143

💻www.acorncare.org.uk

23/01/2026

𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗕𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗬 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗩𝗦 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗥𝗨𝗠?

Join our amazing foster care family today and earn up to £520 per week per child.

☎️𝟬𝟭𝟯𝟮𝟱 𝟰𝟴𝟱𝟭𝟰𝟯
🌐𝘄𝘄𝘄.𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲.𝗼𝗿𝗴.𝘂𝗸

20/01/2026

𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐄 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐀 𝐅𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝟏𝟖?

The sudden withdrawal of financial support at age 18 means many foster carers cannot offer Staying Put, denying young people the stability and continuity they need at a critical transition point.

Today this is being debated in parliament.

We wait in anticipation to see if there is any progress with this.

What do you think should happen?

19/01/2026

𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘 '𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇 𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆'

To start the new week we are busting 10 common myths around foster care.

Far too often we hear reasons why people wont consider foster caring and quite often their reasoning is because they haven't received the correct information.

Check out our graphic of the 10 common myths that we regularly hear.

Could Foster Care be for you ?

☎️𝟬𝟭𝟯𝟮𝟱 𝟰𝟴𝟱𝟭𝟰𝟯

🌐𝘄𝘄𝘄.𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲.𝗼𝗿𝗴.𝘂𝗸