The British Psychological Society (BPS) has today published new guidance on supporting care-experienced children and young people through the coronavirus crisis and its aftermath.

It aims to support foster and kinship carers, adoptive parents, and professionals who work with care-experienced children in schools, residential care homes and other settings.

The guidance outlines some of the key psychological challenges care-experienced children and young people, and those close to them, may be facing. These include feeling unsafe, family issues and issues around birth family time, upheaval in education, training and work, and difficulty with transitions. It also provides useful advice and resources to help, both now and in the future.

Dr Hester Riviere, educational psychologist and lead of the group compiling this advice, said: ‘Care-experienced children and young people are some of the most vulnerable in our society and are therefore very much at the forefront of our minds during this challenging time.

‘This period of social isolation, partial school closure and reduction in social care and therapeutic services has highlighted the vital role schools play in maintaining the health and well-being of children as well as providing them with an education. This places an additional burden on foster and kinship carers, adoptive parents, and professionals who support care-experienced children.

‘We hope this guidance offers the psychological insight and tools they need as they continue to support the vulnerable children and young people in their care.’

***

Image credit: Freepik