In this episode of our fostering podcast, you will meet Julie, who with her husband have fostered for 23 years, which is truly remarkable. 

In this candid episode, Julie speaks about her recovery from breast cancer and what that meant for her and her foster family. Julie is truly an inspiration, her constant upbeat attitude has meant that she has been able to provide such wonderful care to the children she has and continues to care for. 

With 23 years of experience to talk about this is one episode you do not want to miss. 

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In this episode of our Focus on Fostering Podcast, you get to meet Sue and Kelvin who decided to foster when they retired. 

Sue and Kelvin both nurses, first heard about fostering from another couple on a cruise, it was a few years later once retired that they decided to take their step into fostering. 

In this episode you will hear from both Sue and Kelvin on what they believe makes a great foster carer, from communication, to giving foster children pets to learn what nurturing feels like and most importantly finding out more on staying out, which is when a foster child stays with their carers after they turn 18.

If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here.

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In this episode, you will meet Jenna and Craig, who foster alongside their 9-year-old daughter. Together for 15 years and married for 5, both Jenna and Craig wanted to pursue fostering to make a difference. Jenna and Craig primarily foster babies, and in this episode, they discuss the assessment process, the children moving on, and their hopes for the future. 

If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here.

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To conclude our first season of "Focus on Fostering," we're thrilled to present a truly extraordinary episode. Join us as we introduce you to Geoff, a dedicated foster carer, and his remarkable young person, Aiden, both of whom played featured in the compelling BBC One Documentary, "Teens in Care."

As is our tradition, our episodes are unscripted and utterly authentic. However, in this particular instalment, we've decided to forgo our regular host, Helen, in favor of offering you an intimate glimpse into the everyday life of a foster family. What better way to achieve this than by having 17-year-old Aiden and his foster carer, Geoff, engage in a candid exchange of questions? They'll be sharing their experiences in the world of fostering, as well as offering valuable advice to fellow carers and young people alike.

To cap off this special episode, we've arranged a friendly competition to determine who knows each other better. Be prepared for some fierce rivalry, as it turns out that both Aiden and Geoff are quite the competitors!

If you would also like to watch this episode you can find it here.

If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here.

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Coming up on Episode 6, we meet Mark who is a foster carer of unaccompanied minors, young asylum seekers who arrive in the UK by themselves, scared and in need of a safe and loving home. 

But in helping them, he has helped himself, he has faced incredibly difficult personal challenges but says he couldn’t have got through them without the fostering family he has created. Don’t miss his powerful story. 

If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here.

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Coming up on Episode 5 we explore how our past experience impact our lives, and how children in foster care benefit from Therapeutic Life Story work, processing their trauma with the help of a professional like our guest, Linda. 

If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here.

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Coming up in episode 4. We meet Carol and her daughter Emma and hear their incredible story of how being a fostering family has shaped their lives, from her adopting her foster child Ryan to how they all come together to support each other in difficult times. Carol has a wealth of experience and this is an incredible episode to listen to. 

If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here.

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Leonie’s mum and dad have been fostering since she was just two. It’s pretty much all she’s ever known. One of her earliest memories is of a young foster child coming into the room where Leonie was watching TV, sitting down on her lap and falling asleep. She’s since learned that many foster children feel uncomfortable with adults because of everything that’s happened to them, so birth children play a really important role in foster families. Having foster children became a way of life for Leonie, who estimates her family cared for around 70 children – some for just a few days, others for much longer.  And while we may think that what Leonie, her parents and her sister do is amazing, for them fostering is just part of everyday life. In this podcast, Leonie shares the steps they take to make foster children feel welcome and part of the family and explains what she says to people who have negative views about fostering. She’s a great ambassador for fostering and it’s no surprise that she says she plans to foster one day. In the meantime, she’s chosen a career that will perfectly suit her calm, unflappable demeanour. 

If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here.

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Sarah Jane wears two different hats when it comes to fostering and adoption. She’s a foster carer recruitment officer for National Fostering Group and an adoptive mum to her 11-year-old son. At work, it’s her job to meet would-be foster carers and tell them what fostering’s all about, alongside looking after the agency’s team of foster carers. She helps people who want to foster get a realistic understanding of what’s involved and prepare to apply. Sarah Jane has personal experience of the challenges of bringing a child into your home after adopting her son eight years ago. Candidly, she describes feeling like she’d “kidnapped” him from his family when he first arrived and how many things she wishes she’d done differently. Looking after a child who’s experienced trauma can be challenging and she’s learned what a difference Therapeutic Parenting makes – helping a child understand their emotions, responding with acceptance, compassion and empathy. Both at home and at work, she’s witnessed the benefits of allowing children to feel what they feel without trying to fix it. It’s not an easy journey but helping a child feel they belong somewhere is the most rewarding thing ever – supporting them to become the best they can be.

If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here.

You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Destiny is a lively and articulate young woman who spent her childhood in various foster homes before finding her forever home with her current foster family. She speaks candidly about her anger growing up and the many traumatic experiences she faced. Describing herself as a “very troubled child”, Destiny found out at age four that the person she was living with was not her real mum. She found meeting her biological mum confusing and traumatic and expressed her feelings through angry outbursts. Destiny explains that “you need to find an outlet” and the foster home provided a safe environment to let out her emotions. Age 17, she hit rock bottom but then something changed.  Destiny learned a different way to express her feelings. Slowly she came to a new understanding about her life and her experiences. Now, Destiny speaks passionately about learning to accept the past and live in the present. She shares what’s important to her in life, her hopes and her dreams. She believes even small acts of self-care (drinking tea’s a biggie) help to shape a brighter future. And, for her, family comes above everything – the foster parents who allowed her to grow, to become Destiny.

If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here.

You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube