Words by Cheyanne Bryan
Keeping memories is a fun part of life, but it can be the lifeline that many children and young people need, especially those in foster care. With nearly 70,000 children living with foster families in the UK, there may be something to help…
Introducing the This Is My Life workbook by My Life Stories!
A keepsake workbook designed to collect memories in a format that enables children to feel valued, where they can make sense of their journey.
Smiley News sat down with Barbara Walters- Ennis, co-founder of My Life Stories to hear her story and what went into making this workbook. With over 30 years experience as a social worker and 20 as a foster carer, she has an unwavering passion for children and family.
“As a social worker, I’m aware that there's a real emphasis on children who have been in care experiences, knowing their life's journey. Especially when you're not growing up within your birth family, it's sometimes hard to put all the pieces together, because you can't go back to mum and say, ‘Oh, what happened when I was five, or what did we do here, and when did we go there?’ So there's an emphasis on foster carers and social workers to ensure that children who have been in care can have access to memories.”
In getting the book off the ground, Barbara worked with her foster daughter, Paige who worked for a local authority as a Life Story Practitioner and had a foot in the door to show prototypes of the book to other social workers and looked after children.
The workbook also had the opportunity to be trialled with the permission of Lambeth Council which was received with high praise from Ofsted too. Lambeth Council is still using the workbooks with some of their children and carers now.
Barbara is working to get the books used by other local authorities but it has not been an easy task, she told us: “ Everybody sees things as commercial. This is a passion for us. I actually really believed that there was a need, there was a demand. And what I found is that people who haven't had care experiences have also found it useful to sit down, because it's a bonding tool as well.”
As Barbara has a lot of experience within social care as a social worker and a foster parent, we asked how both these experiences helped in the creation of the workbook, Barbara replied: “So if I'm being totally honest, I wanted to be a foster carer before I wanted to be a social worker. I've always been interested in children, always been interested in children's welfare, as I grew up in a very big family. I've got 12 brothers and sisters, and so for me, just acknowledging that not everybody has that opportunity to have so much family around them, it's always been kind of a bit of an interest and a passion of mine.“
To find out more about My Life Stories, head over to their website here and consider donating to help purchase a workbook for a child who could benefit from one.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
The Fostering Network. This is a charity that offers essential support services and advocacy for both foster families and children in care. Support them here.
Action for Children. This UK charity is dedicated to helping vulnerable children and young people, providing support, advocacy, and practical assistance to improve their lives. Find out more here.
Become Charity. This charity is a national charity for children in care and care leavers. They offer guidance, advocacy, and empowerment to help them navigate the challenges of transitioning to adulthood. Support them here.
This article aligns with the UN SDG Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities.
