Travel Edition
Foster Carer Bulletin
OCTOBER 2025 FOR CHILDREN, NOT FOR PROFIT We’re delighted to bring you this month’s edition of the St David’s Fostering Bulletin, a space dedicated to keeping you informed, inspired, and supported. As Summer seems well and truly behind us and we are all searching for the big coats, here you’ll find helpful reminders, upcoming training opportunities, key dates for your diary, and creative ideas for family activities to enjoy together. We hope this newsletter offers something valuable for you. Thank you for all that you do, your commitment makes a world of difference.
NEWS AND UPDATES
Here is a reminder of how to add photos for the child’s record. This and many other ‘How To’ guides can be found on the CHARMS WIKI. Adding photos to the children’s record on CHARMS is a really important detail that shouldn’t be overlooked for the following reasons: Sense of identity Photos help children build a stronger understanding of who they are, where they came from, and what their early life was like. Without them, big parts of their story can feel “missing”. Life story work Social workers and carers often do “life story work” with children. Photos are key tools for explaining their journey and helping them process their experiences. Memories and continuity Many looked after children experience frequent moves between foster homes, residential care, or schools. Pictures preserve memories that might otherwise be lost through those transitions. Attachment and belonging Looking at old photos can remind them that they were loved and cared for at different stages in their life, supporting emotional security and self-esteem. Shared history Later in life, having childhood photos allows young people to connect with friends, partners, and even future children, by being able to share their past visually. Healing and resilience Photos can be comforting reminders of happy times, even if their early experiences were mixed. They help create a fuller, more balanced picture of their life.