Children and Family

Religion, faith and culture are always hotly debated topics, no more so than when it comes to fostering Muslim children. But there is a problem - the number of Muslim children in need of foster care in England outnumbers the number of Muslim foster carers. Like all children, they have a right to be cared for in a foster home that promotes their culture and religion safely and appropriately. But when there is such an obvious gap between what is...

Young people who learn practical skills through Barnardo’s have created a series of self-portraits to mark the 150th anniversary of the charity’s first ‘ragged school’. Teenagers at The Hub Skills Centre in Stepney Green were inspired by the recent donation of postcards dating back to the late 19th century which depict children from Victorian times learning skills with the charity. The release of the ‘then and now’ images coincides with the 150th anniversary of the East End Juvenile Mission at Hope Place which...

Guess what? A toddler friendly hotel really does exist. Our lifestyle writer and mum of two Clair Hart, took her family to a boutique hotel that offers family time with a difference... A toddler friendly hotel with a difference Anybody with children knows that going on holiday or for a weekend away isn’t relaxing. The moment you kiss your baby for the first time, you kiss goodbye to those luxurious Mr & Mrs Smith nights away. Or that’s what we...

Bereaved children are effectively invisible to the Government, a Freedom of Information request has revealed. Just seven months after the government cut the benefits available to bereaved UK families, the Life Matters task force has revealed that there is no central record of the number of children affected by the bereavement of a parent. The alarming revelation comes as a result of an FOI request asking for the number of children bereaved of a parent in the UK, to which...

A newborn baby has become an uncle at just 36-hours-old after his niece was born in the next room. Little Callum Scrimshaw was given the extra responsibility as his mum Laura, 35, went into labour at the same time as his big sister Sharmaine, 17. Sharmaine gave birth to Callum's niece Khara-Louise only a matter of metres away from where the baby uncle was resting at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife. Shocked Laura and husband Steven from Rosyth, Fife, were...

A teacher unwittingly saved the life of a six-year-old pupil after urging her to get an eye test - which revealed a massive brain tumour. Nia Ferris, 31, noticed something was wrong with Evie Hughes' vision and advised her parents to consult an optician in case she needed glasses. But they were stunned to be told their daughter was completely blind in one eye because of a slow-growing tumour which had probably been there since birth. Evie was rushed to...

Barnardo’s has been improving the lives of vulnerable children and young people for more than 150 years. It was the first children’s charity in England to take in vulnerable black and mixed heritage children. Today, Barnardo’s supports young carers, care leavers, foster carers and adoptive parents, training and skills or parenting classes. Last year 272,000 children, young people and families were supported through more than 1,000 services across the UK. Javed Khan, Barnardo’s Chief Executive, said: “Barnardo’s started its work...

It seems as though they’ve only just started the new school year before the October break begins and the educational system very kindly hands your bundles of joy back home for the week. Many of us look to distant shores and new pastures during this time in a bid to combat the evitable boredom-induced mischief. However, with droves of other families thinking the same, traffic jams, tantrums and domestic chaos can soon ensue. Here are some hints to help you...