Children’s Mental Health Week 2025

Children’s Mental Health Week is an awareness event held every year, with this year’s event running from the 3rd to the 9th of February.

First launched a decade ago by the children’s charity Place2Be, the aim of Children’s Mental Health Week is to highlight the importance of mental health support for children and young people, and to give a voice to children across the UK who may be struggling with their mental health.

This year, the theme for Children’s Mental Health Week is, ‘Know Yourself, Grow Yourself’, encouraging children and young people to get to know and accept themselves, so they’re better able to cope with life’s challenges.

Why is Mental Health Important to Children and Young People in Foster Care?

While mental health issues can affect anyone, some groups are more vulnerable than others.

Children in care are more likely to struggle with their mental health, with around half of all looked after children meeting the criteria for a mental health disorder, compared to 1 in 10 children outside the care system.

There are a variety of reasons for this.

Some mental health conditions have a hereditary component, meaning that if you have a parent with a particular disorder, such as depression or schizophrenia, for example, you’re more likely to develop it yourself.

Children in care can often experience instability in their living situation, with frequent moves and a lack of choice or control.

Many children entering care will also have experienced neglect or abuse, and all children in care have the trauma and grief of being separated from their birth family.

All of this can increase a child’s risk of developing a mental health condition.

As mental health impacts every area of a child’s life, from their physical health and relationships with those around them, to their educational attainment, and ability to thrive, it’s vital that children and young people in care are supported with their mental health, and that those caring for them feel equipped to do this.

How Foster Carers Can Support Children and Young People With Their Mental Health

Fortunately, as a foster carer, there are lots of things you can do to help support the mental health of children and young people in your care.

A Safe Space

For many children entering foster care, home won’t always have been a safe space. This is particularly true for those who have experienced abuse or neglect, and whose basic physical and emotional needs haven’t been met.

Before they can begin to process and deal with any mental health issues they might be experiencing, children and young people need to feel safe.

Creating that safe, stable, supportive environment as a foster carer allows children to shift their focus from survival, and to begin processing the traumatic events that may have led to them coming into care.

This is one of the reasons why it’s so important for foster children to have their own bedroom - as it gives them a space of their own, where they can decompress, knowing that they’re safe.

Creating a feeling of safety for fostered children is also about the emotional atmosphere, as well as the physical space itself. Familiar routines, clear expectations, and open communication can all help children to settle into their foster placements and feel safe.

Training and Education

As a foster carer, knowing about common mental health problems, such as the signs and symptoms to look out for, and common misconceptions about mental health, means you’re better able to recognise when a child or young person in your care might be struggling, and what you can do to help.

Here at Olive Branch Fostering, we understand the importance of training and education, that’s why we encourage a lifelong approach to learning, and a wide range of training and development opportunities for our carers.

Open Communication

As a foster carer, children and young people need to know they can approach and talk to you, even about things that might be difficult, uncomfortable or scary.

Let them know that you’re always available if they want to chat, and make sure there are plenty of natural opportunities during a normal day for them to open up without any pressure, for example, during car rides, on family walks or while making tea together.

Advocacy

A significant part of the foster carer role is advocating for the child/ren in your care. If you think a child or young person might be struggling with their mental health, don’t be afraid to seek help and advice. This might be from your social worker or the child’s school, or you might need to seek out specific support, or request referrals to other services.

Some children or young people might feel reluctant or embarrassed to have involvement from other professionals or agencies, so it’s important to talk to them about why it’s needed, help them understand how it will help, and to encourage them to engage with the support offered.

Self-Care

It’s crucial that children and young people with mental health conditions receive proper care and treatment from trained professionals.

However, there are also things that children and teenagers can do to help keep themselves well, and as a foster carer, you can encourage them to develop self-care rituals that will benefit their overall health and wellbeing.

While mental health issues such as anxiety and depression often have deeply rooted causes that can’t be addressed with quick fixes like going for a walk or having a bath, it is true that many mental health problems are exacerbated by problems such as social isolation, lack of sleep, and poor diet.

Addressing basics such as these can help a person’s mental health in the long-term, and give a foster child a good foundation to fall back on when things are tough.

Establishing boundaries around bedtimes, developing sleep routines and encouraging a balanced diet sound simple, but for many children and young people coming into foster care, these might be new concepts that can take some getting used to!

Taking part in hobbies and interests can also boost a child’s confidence and self-esteem, as well as help to build resilience and stronger social ties, which can be protective factors for mental health in looked after children.

Encouraging foster children to find things they enjoy, whether it’s playing sport or an instrument or taking part in something creative, is a great way to improve their overall wellbeing.

Support From Olive Branch Fostering

Our children are at the heart of everything we do here at Olive Branch, and their health and wellbeing is our main priority.

We also understand that supporting a child through mental health difficulties can be a challenge for foster carers, requiring patience, understanding and compassion. That’s why we offer such a robust package of training and support, so that our carers know that no matter what happens, we’re with them every step of the way.

If you’d like to find out more about fostering in the North West, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch or book a call back with one of our friendly fostering advisors today.