Supporting carers and foster families
This section is aimed at a range of practitioners working with carers and foster families.
It’s in development, as we’re trialling different materials and support to find out how BookTrust can best support carers to read for pleasure with the children they look after.
This work has been informed by findings from a UK-wide survey of foster carers, Reading in Foster Families, as well as interviews with practitioners in Wales. Recommendations from these research projects suggest that carers would benefit from practical advice about incorporating reading for pleasure into their child’s everyday life. Specific references and links to the research reports can be found in this document.
Practitioner guidance
Supporting carers to read with their children
This booklet is aimed at a range of practitioners working with carers and foster families, and provides advice about supporting these families to read as part of your role.
Guide for carers
Reading together with 3-7-year olds
A booklet containing information and practical tips about reading for pleasure, aimed at foster carers.
Presentation for carers
A carer session presentation
A powerpoint presentation for use as part of carer training sessions. As well as advice, this contains video footage of shared reading, and suggested discussion questions and activities.
The Letterbox Club
The Letterbox Club is an award-wining programme which aims to inspire a love of reading and engagement with numeracy in children who are looked-after aged 3-13. Children taking part receive their own set of 6 parcels containing books, stationery and more.
Browse our booklists
Our booklists can help you find books for children about a range of topics, for example friendships. We advise checking the suitability of books before using them with children you work with.
Use the bookfinder
Use our bookfinder to search for children’s books by age group and theme. You might want to use books when you are speaking to carers, to show them examples of books their child might enjoy.