Fresh Horizons (June 2013)
Building positive relationships and confidence within foster families
All photos © Ruth Davey/Look Again www.look-again.org
This 3-day residential for foster families was held at Embercombe on the edge of Dartmoor National Park
A sunny weekend saw six foster families with Imayla staff and volunteers spending time getting out of the city and away from the dynamics of daily life into neutral territory in the natural environment.
This was an opportunity to experience the power of being away together in nature in improving health and well-being, having fun, raising self-confidence and developing positive and trusting relationships in order to reduce the likelihood of placement breakdown.
Click on the link to see the photo film ‘Fresh Horizons’
We’ve come with families we’ve never met before and these children bond so quickly and you can see their little personalities coming out and shining. It’s lovely the high spirit and the nice feeling of love that comes from this.
Here it’s all positive and the carers get to see a much more caring side of their children and that there is another way other than just benefits and cider.
Here you could just be you. Everyone was very non-judgmental of each other and accepting the person that’s in front of you.
Everything here is so natural for them to do, to run around, to make noise - that’s what they want to do. So I think this is very therapeutic for the children, very therapeutic.
I feel so much more at peace with myself now. I’ve had so much time to think about my future and my exams that I wouldn’t have had if I’d just stayed in Bristol.
I’ve felt a lot closer to my foster carer. We’ve bonded a lot just looking out for each other. It feels like I’m now properly part of my foster carers family and I’m now embedded in the family.
It does bond people, most definitely it does.