Family Life

What Does It Take to be a Great Foster Carer?

Becoming a foster carer can be one of the most rewarding things you ever do. Opening up your home to care for vulnerable children in need provides them with stability, support and a nurturing family environment. However, fostering also comes with many challenges. It takes some special qualities and skills to be a great foster carer. Here’s an overview of what it takes.

Patience and Understanding

Children entering foster care may have come from traumatic backgrounds and have complex needs. They may act out, struggle to trust you initially and be slow to adapt to new routines. As a...

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Liv Butler

Liv Butler

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Warring couples urged to embrace mediation to help resolve conflict over pets

Call to action comes as nation celebrates Love Your Pet Day

A national charity has urged couples in conflict to embrace mediation to discuss what will happen to their pets following a divorce or separation in a bid to avoid costly court battles over matters relating to custody, contact and vets’ bills.

The call to action comes ahead of National Love Your Pet Day (20th of February), during which families across the country shower their furry or feathered friends or their beloved amphibians with love and devotion - whether they are cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, frogs, snakes...

Mother and daughter touching donkey

Spring into the new season at The Donkey Sanctuary

With spring just around the corner, The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth is the perfect day out for all the family this half term.

The sanctuary is free to visit and is set in the heart of the East Devon countryside, overlooking the world-famous Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

For those looking to combine exercise and brainpower the ‘Stories of Sanctuary Spirit’ trail is a great place to start.

By following clues from their trail sheet, people will be able to uncover each spirit word and its matching donkey in the poems located around the sanctuary. Trail sheets...

Boost your childcare budget this half term

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Thu, 02/02/2023 - 11:54pm

As the February half term draws closer, families are being reminded that they can save up to £2,000 a year on childcare costs with Tax-Free Childcare.  

More than 37,600 families in the South West used the scheme in September 2022 and benefitted from the government paying towards childcare costs. 

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is encouraging families to find out more about Tax-Free Childcare and check their eligibility via Childcare Choices .

Tax-Free Childcare can help working families pay for any approved childcare for children aged 11 or under, or, 16 if the...

Separating parents urged to avoid courtroom conflict as Family Mediation Week kicks off

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 01/16/2023 - 11:23pm
Charity National Family Mediation offers advice to over 50 Exeter families in conflict

Parents living in Exeter who have decided to separate or divorce in 2023 are being urged to find out how to avoid courtroom confrontation to settle money and parenting arrangements, with the launch of Family Mediation Week, 16 – 20 January.

January usually sees a dramatic rise in the number of parents deciding to live apart, or to start the separation or divorce process, as the various pressures that go hand-in-hand with the Christmas period act as a final straw for relationships.

Jane...

There’s always time for a cuppa with Exeter, Mid & East Devon Samaritans 

The local branch of Samaritans is encouraging people across Exeter and East Devon to reach out to someone they care about for a cuppa and a catch up for Brew Monday - that’s January 16, the third Monday of January.

Volunteers from the branch will be out in force, with tea bags and cups, at six stations in the area: Exeter St David’s, Exeter Central, Exmouth, Dawlish, Tiverton Parkway and Okehampton.

The third Monday in January is sometimes referred to as ‘the most difficult day of the year’ but the charity is highlighting that many people have year-round issues...

Mediation charity braces itself for new year separation and divorce spike

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 12/26/2022 - 10:25pm

Family dispute specialists who are part of the country’s largest network of family mediators are preparing for what could be their busiest time of the year, as couples across the region make it their new year resolution to end their relationships after a stressful holiday period.

Staff at National Family Mediation (NFM), which helps families to sort arrangements for children, property, finance and other important matters,say in their experience Christmas often proves the final straw for relationships that have been fragile for some time.

The charity says this year is...

Free, family festive adventure comes to Exeter

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Thu, 12/22/2022 - 12:07pm

This festive season, families in Exeter will be able to follow an augmented reality story-trail around the city.

As part of local plans to give families a fantastic festive break, InExeter and Visit Exeter have teamed up to provide a free interactive trail for families. Working with High Street Safari, InExeter and Visit Exeter have launched a unique, free trail in Exeter ready for the Christmas holidays.

The Hunt for the Lost Toys trail is an innovative experience that lets families choose what happens in the story as they follow the trail. 10 very odd Christmas...

Expert advice on handling Christmas as a divorced or separated parent

Authored by Ellie Green
Posted: Mon, 12/19/2022 - 12:52am

Handling Christmas can be challenging at the best of times, but if you are dealing with it as a divorced or separated parent, it can be especially testing. Self-help separation website, Splitting Up advises parents to be as flexible as possible with holiday arrangements, but what else can you do to manage what can often be a difficult time of year for divorced or separated parents?

Plan early

If you are already divorced, then you may have a Child Arrangement order in place that includes plans for Christmas and other holidays. This may mean you have the children with you...

Sustainable Baby Clothing: Ways for Economically Embracing Sustainability

Authored by Liv Butler
Posted: Sun, 12/18/2022 - 11:32pm

Practicing sustainability means acting now to leave a better world for tomorrow's generation. Buying from companies that make children's clothing with social and environmental consciousness in mind is a crucial first step. This trend has led to the proliferation of eco-friendly childrenswear labels.

Some online retailers focus solely on offering eco-friendly and ethical childrenswear brands, having thoroughly researched and vetted each to save their customers time and effort.

You can use your purchasing power to secure a bright future by favoring businesses like https://...

Advice on how to ensure toys are safe this Christmas

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Fri, 12/09/2022 - 11:34pm

To help ensure that the toys you are buying this Christmas are safe Trading Standards has released two short videos.

The videos, about toy safety and buying electrical goods , feature Holly Traynor from the Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service and she gives her top tips and advice on what to look for and what to avoid.

Trading Standards advises that if you are buying new products, you should ensure they display a CE mark, proof that the product has passed EU safety regulations, or the UKCA mark, which is the UK equivalent.

All toys, including ‘free...

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