The Reflective Fostering Programme
The Reflective Fostering Programme supports foster and kinship carers to look after their own wellbeing and build strong, supportive relationships with the children in their care.
About the programme
Developed by experts at Anna Freud, the Reflective Fostering Programme (RFP) is a 10-week group programme for foster and kinship carers. It supports carers to look after their own wellbeing while building strong, supportive relationships with children who may have experienced trauma and adversity.
The programme was developed in response to calls from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and other organisations to improve outcomes for children in care. Many of these children have experienced early maltreatment and trauma, highlighting the need for better support for carers.
Aims of the programme
The programme provides practical tools to help carers:
promote children's emotional and behavioural wellbeing
reduce stress and improve carers' quality of life
strengthen the carer-child relationship
support placement stability
reduce feelings of burnout.
Programme structure and delivery
The programme consists of ten three-hour group sessions for groups of six to ten carers. Sessions are delivered weekly or fortnightly and can take place in person or online.
The programme combines psychoeducation – including understanding mentalizing, parenting and the impact of trauma – with practical strategies to support carers’ wellbeing and help them build and sustain positive relationships with the children in their care.
Evidence base and development
The Reflective Fostering Programme has been piloted and evaluated, most recently through a large-scale national randomised controlled trial (RCT) - The Reflective Fostering Study.
The original programme was designed for carers of children aged 4–11 and is now being further developed for carers of teenagers.
To enquire about the programme, please contact us.