Staff and young people across our six homes are getting ready for Halloween. Each home plans its own: what gets carved, what gets decorated, whether anyone is going out, and what happens for anyone who would rather stay in with a film.
That last part matters more than it sounds. A night built around strangers at the door, masks and the dark is not fun for every child, and some of the young people we support have good reasons for finding it hard. Having a version of the evening that works for them is part of the plan, not an afterthought.
Small homes make this easier. With two or three young people in a house, the plan can genuinely be built around who actually lives there rather than around what most people want.
Seasonal traditions do a quiet job in residential care. They mark time, they give a child something to look forward to, and they build the ordinary shared memories that a home is made of.