Recipes for Fostering

Recipes for Fostering is the result of a BAAF development project which was sponsored by Foster Care Associates. Led by Andrea Warman, the project built on the work of a previous study which explored what it means to be a foster carer through the experiences of two women, Rosamond and Suzy.

During the course of this work it became clear that foster carers use very practical and creative strategies for welcoming children and young people into their homes, which included shopping, cooking and eating together. However, there appeared to be very little published material about the role of food in foster care. So we were delighted to be given an opportunity to explore this further in the new project.

Andrea worked with a nutritionist and a home economist as a team. Ten foster care households were chosen from London, the West of England and the Midlands as the focus for the project. They were a mix of local authority and FCA carers, from diverse backgrounds and having different kinds of fostering experiences.

They were encouraged to share their favourite recipes and to talk about how food relates to what they do. Yet, their stories revealed far more information about their own histories, the children and young people they have looked after and their motivation to become foster carers. This publication tells these stories in the carers own words alongside photographs of their households and the food they like to cook.

We hope that all readers will enjoy trying the recipes themselves, that more carers will think about the meaning of food for their children and that it will encourage further discussion of the role food plays in building relationships.

For further information on this project, please contact Andrea Warman

Buy this book online here.