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Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, we sit down with Shanta, a foster carer of eight years who was inspired to follow in her parents' footsteps. After leaving a corporate career behind, Shanta has fostered ten children across short-term, long-term, and short break placements — and discovered a calling that led her to train as a therapeutic counselor. Shanta shares her insights on childhood trauma and attachment, the grief process children experience when leaving their primary caregiver, and how understanding that process helps her nurture meaningful connections. She also opens up about the importance of self-care, the value of foster carer support networks, and why she can't imagine her life without fostering. Whether you're considering fostering yourself or simply want to understand the reality of life as a foster carer, Shanta's story is a powerful reminder of the difference one person can make. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, we meet Joanna — a single mum and foster carer who has opened her home to 15 children over nine years. From a chance encounter at a summer fair (thanks to an overly friendly dog) to celebrating milestones with children now adopted across the UK, Joanna shares the joy, the tears, and the everyday purpose of fostering. She busts common myths about who can foster, reflects on the bittersweet art of saying goodbye, and reveals how fostering has shaped not just the children's lives but her own family's too. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail When Lynne and her husband Keith decided to open their home to fostering, they had no idea they'd go on to care for more than 31 children over the next decade. In this episode of Voices of Fostering, Lynne shares the story behind that incredible number — from the empty-nest feeling that started it all, to the networking meeting that changed everything. Lynne talks about her first foster child, who arrived at age 8 and is now nearly 21 and at university. She describes the joy of stayover care during the pandemic, the child-centered approach she and Keith take, and the emotion coaching training that transformed how she supports the children in her care. She also shares how fostering has shaped her own children — including her daughter, who says the experience made her a better radiographer. If you've ever thought about fostering but aren't sure where to start, Lynne has a simple message: talk to your family, work through the doubts, and give it a go. It might just be the best decision your family ever makes. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail After 15 years in a soulless corporate job, Travis walked away to become a foster carer — and never looked back. Over the past 11 years, he and his wife have fostered 16 teenage boys with extreme complex needs, transforming lives through an approach built on trust, authenticity, and seeing the world through each child's eyes. In this episode of Voices of Fostering, Travis shares how a chance encounter with his brother-in-law's foster children sparked a calling he didn't know he had. He discusses why awareness matters more than patience, how his own childhood shaped his ability to connect with traumatised teenagers, and the profound reward of watching young people who've lost their sense of identity learn to thrive. From setting boundaries and routine to navigating the teenage years with respect rather than authority, Travis offers hard-won wisdom for anyone considering fostering — and a powerful reminder that fostering doesn't just change the children. It changes you. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail Two women. Two generations. Two completely different experiences of the menopause. In this episode, 79-year-old social worker and foster carer Christine shares her story of sailing through the menopause with little more than hot flushes and a sense of relief, while her daughter-in-law Charlotte recounts being hit by perimenopause "like a sledgehammer" at 46 - battling brain fog, hair loss, and debilitating symptoms that left her barely able to leave the house. Their candid conversation explores how differently the menopause can affect each woman, how the conversation around it has changed over 30 years, and why Charlotte was inspired to found PauseLive! - the UK's largest women's health event, after her own struggle to find answers. From the dangers of "meno-washing" and misinformation to the importance of HRT, peer support, and simply being heard, this is an honest, warm, and sometimes funny look at navigating one of life's biggest transitions — and why no woman should have to go through it alone. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, Helen is joined by Lisa from FosterTalk — a vital support service available to all National Fostering Group carers across England, Scotland, and Wales. Lisa breaks down the wide range of support on offer, from legal insurance and allegation support to 24-hour counseling, medical advice, tax assistance, and a discount portal with thousands of savings. Together, they tackle some of the most daunting aspects of fostering, exploring why they happen, how FosterTalk's dedicated team guides carers through the process, and why having the right support can make all the difference in keeping carers in the role. Lisa also shares her own remarkable journey, from 25 years as cabin crew to 12 years as a foster carer, and now supporting young people through supported lodgings. She reflects on the transferable skills, the challenges, and the profound reward of watching young lives transform. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a Christmas radio ad tugs at your heartstrings while you're pregnant with your second child? For Natalie, it sparked a fostering journey that has welcomed eight or nine children into her home over the past five years — and she's not stopping anytime soon. In this episode of Voices of Fostering, Natalie sits down with Helen to share the raw, real, and deeply rewarding reality of life as a foster carer. From the terrifying first night when a child arrives and your mind won't stop racing, to the joy of watching a child try a new food for the first time, Natalie holds nothing back. She opens up about fostering with very young birth children at home — and why it's been one of the best decisions she ever made for her family. She shares the heartwarming story of two children she fostered for 18 months who went on to adoption, and how she still sees them thriving today. She also speaks honestly about the harder endings: a teenager who left at sixteen, and a child who ran away and was never heard from again. Through it all, Natalie's message is clear — you're never alone. With support groups, counselling, and a community that feels like family, fostering isn't just about changing a child's life. It's about joining something bigger than yourself. If you've ever wondered what it really takes to foster, this episode is for you. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail What happens when someone who grew up in the care system decides to become a foster carer themselves? In this episode of Voices of Fostering, Helen sits down with Kerry — a foster carer of nearly five years whose own experience in care fuels her passion for helping children today. Kerry opens up about the fears that nearly stopped her from applying — worries about being single, renting her home, and whether her care background would count against her. She shares the reality of the assessment process, the nerves of panel day, and the moment her first child arrived on her doorstep just before Christmas. From toddlers to teenagers to her current placement with two "very sassy girls," Kerry's story is one of resilience, empathy, and breaking down the stereotypes of who can be a foster carer. Whether you're considering fostering yourself or simply want to hear an inspiring story of turning personal hardship into a lifetime of care, this episode is for you. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, Helen sits down with Chelsey, a carer recruitment officer at Brighter Futures Foster Care, whose journey into fostering began at just 16 years old after a conversation with a neighbour. Chelsey shares her deeply personal experience of fostering a teenage boy and two young brothers — the joy, the chaos, and the heartbreak of saying goodbye when they moved on to adoption.  She opens up about the power of empathy, the importance of meeting children exactly where they are, and how fostering transformed not only her life but her daughter's too. From a chance encounter at Disney World that inspired someone to begin their fostering journey, to her mission now of recruiting the next generation of carers, Chelsey's story is a testament to the life-changing impact of opening your home and your heart. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, host Helen sits down with Julie, a foster carer of nearly nine years, to talk about her family's journey into fostering. Julie shares what led her and her husband to explore fostering, what the assessment process was really like, and how they've built a settled, long-term family life with a sibling group of three children since 2019. She opens up about the emotional side of fostering — including the powerful "relay race" analogy that helped her let go of guilt when those in their care move on — plus the importance of peer support, ongoing training, and looking after your own wellbeing as a carer. Julie also discusses permanency, involving her adult birth children as backup carers, and what's kept her family committed for nearly a decade. Whether you're curious about fostering or just starting to explore it, Julie's honest, heartfelt insights show that you've got nothing to lose by making that first inquiry. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, host Helen sits down with Kathryn, a Supervising Social Worker at the National Fostering Group with an incredible 16 years of experience in the role. Kathryn takes us through her remarkable career journey — from an unexpected turn away from teaching, to working as a house parent in children's units in the 1980s, to specializing in youth drug and alcohol services, and finally finding her calling in fostering support. She shares candid, moving stories from her early days in residential care, the lessons that shaped her approach, and what it really means to support foster carers day to day. The conversation also dives into parent-and-child fostering — a topic close to Kathryn's heart — exploring how foster families support parents (not just teenagers, but adults too) to build safe, healthy relationships with their children, and the training programs Kathryn helped pioneer that are still used today. Whether you're considering becoming a foster carer or just want to understand the dedication behind the people who support fostering families, this episode offers a heartfelt, honest look at a career built on care. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail Fiza returns to Voices of Fostering to share what's changed in the year since her last visit — and it's a lot. Now almost 12 years into her fostering journey, she opens up about caring for a young person through therapeutic parenting, including a powerful moment where she used a bit of creative storytelling (spiders, of all things) to help a child break an overwhelming cycle of tears. Fiza also talks about the extended "family" she's built over the years — former foster children and their parents who stay in touch long after moving on, from wedding invitations to heartfelt messages of gratitude. She reflects on the hardest part of fostering (saying goodbye), her recent photoshoot with the National Fostering Group, and why she's such a passionate advocate for parent-and-child fostering placements. If you've ever wondered what long-term fostering really looks like — the joy, the heartbreak, and everything in between — this conversation is not to be missed. 🎧 Listen now and discover how one foster family is changing lives, one child at a time. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, we sit down with Stephen, a retired father of two who found an unexpected calling in stay-over foster care. After spotting an advert in a charity shop window, Stephen went from browsing to becoming an approved foster carer in just six months — and hasn't looked back since. Drawing on his own experience of being bereaved as a child and later raising his sons alone after losing his wife, Stephen shares how empathy shapes the way he welcomes every child into his home — from name plates and welcome books to matchday tickets at Turf Moor. Now having cared for over 25 children in just two years through short stays and emergency placements, Stephen opens up about building trust quickly, fitting fostering around retirement, and why he's on call any time, any day. A heartfelt conversation about resilience, flexibility, and the difference stay-over fostering can make. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, we sit down with Steve, who has been fostering alongside his wife for five years while working full-time at Transport for London. Steve shares how they balance a busy household of six children with hybrid working, what it was like welcoming their first placement during the pandemic lockdown, and the moments that make it all worthwhile — from unbridled Saturday morning fun to hearing relatives mistake foster siblings for blood family. Steve opens up about the assessment process, staying open-minded about who you foster, building trust with children who've had very different life experiences, and why fostering isn't a 9-to-5 role but a lifestyle the whole family shares in. If you've ever wondered whether you can foster while keeping your career, this honest and heartwarming conversation is for you. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail What happens when fostering starts by accident — and ends up becoming your life's greatest calling? In this episode of Voices of Fostering, Helen sits down with Barrie, a foster carer of over 11 years, who never planned to foster at all. What began as a chance job in a local authority fostering team quietly changed the course of his life — and the lives of countless children. Barrie shares his journey with remarkable openness: navigating fostering as part of a same-sex couple, coming from a background of personal trauma, the panel experience, and the unforgettable moment a social worker first dropped off a nine-year-old. In this conversation you'll hear about: 🎲 How Barrie accidentally found his way into fostering 🏡 What it really feels like to open your home — and your life — to a child 🤝 The power of feeling held through the assessment process 💍 How he's fostered through marriage, divorce, and everything in between 💛 The small moments that make the biggest difference Whether you're a foster carer, considering fostering, or simply curious about what it takes — this episode is honest, warm, and impossible not to be moved by. If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here. If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube