Voices of Fostering

Send us Fan Mail Join us as host Helen sits down with Sue, a dedicated foster carer with nearly two decades of experience.  Sue shares her deeply personal reasons for embarking on this journey, the challenges she has faced, and the immense joy she feels when seeing the young people in her care succeed and thrive.  Despite being a lone foster carer, Sue highlights the invaluable support from friend...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, Helen hosts a discussion with Ben and Jasmine, supervising social workers from National Fostering Group.  They delve into the unique role of supervising social workers and how they support foster carers, emphasising the importance of long-term relationships and stability.  Ben and Jasmine also share insights into foster care recruitment, out...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, Helen interviews Manda, an experienced foster carer.  Manda shares her eight-year journey of fostering, beginning with her initial motivations and the transition from her career in accounting. She recounts her first foster children, two Iraqi brothers, and the unique challenges and learning experiences they brought.  The discussion also deta...

Send us Fan Mail In this heartfelt episode host Helen chats with Darren, a dedicated foster carer of 13 years.  Darren discusses his journey into fostering with his husband, driven by the desire to make a significant impact on fewer individuals rather than a minimal impact on many.  He shares the challenges they faced, particularly the acceptance as a same-sex couple, and their encounter with the...

Send us Fan Mail In this touching episode of Voices of Fostering, host Helen chats with Jo-Anne, a passionate foster carer, about her inspiring journey. Jo-Anne shares how her dream of fostering began at the age of nine, influenced by her cousin who was also a foster carer. Jo-Anne and her husband, they decided to pursue fostering during the COVID lockdown, leading to a smooth and rewarding proces...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, we welcome Hannah, SENCO and Educational Lead at  National Fostering Group. She discusses her multifaceted role in providing educational support to foster carers and young people in care. Hannah shares insights on everything from managing educational challenges across different age groups to her career journey that led her to this vital work...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, we welcome Khaira, who shares her heartfelt and insightful experiences as a birth child in a fostering family. Khaira recounts her journey from being a 12-year-old excited about her family becoming a fostering family to today, reflecting on how this unique upbringing shaped her character, values, and future aspirations. She discusses the ini...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, we sit down with Travis, a dedicated foster carer for nearly a decade. Travis shares his transformational journey from a monotonous corporate job to providing a loving and nurturing environment for children and teenagers in foster care. Hear about the emotional and rewarding experiences he's had, the challenges and misconceptions he&apo...

Send us Fan Mail Join us in this episode of Voices of Fostering as we talk with Amy, a foster carer with over 11 years of experience. Amy shares her inspiring journey into fostering, influenced by her family members Celia and Terry. She provides deep insights into the challenges and rewards of fostering, from turning around the lives of children and witnessing their growth and success. Learn about...

Send us Fan Mail We have thoroughly enjoyed sharing the stories of our foster carers in our Voices of Fostering podcast, and in this episode, we take you through a day in the life of a foster carer! Host Helen sits down with Corrina, a primary school teacher who, alongside her husband, began fostering during the pandemic. They are now providing long-term care to two boys attending senior school. I...

Send us Fan Mail In this heartfelt episode of Voices of Fostering, Helen sits down with Nazia, a dedicated foster carer and former social worker. Nazia shares her passionate journey about what led her to foster after 22 years in social work and her invaluable experiences as a foster carer. From helping children in school to managing the complex needs of foster kids, Nazia's story is a powerfu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, Helen interviews Sarah, a Carer Recruitment Officer, to shed light on the process of becoming a foster carer. Sarah explains her role in guiding applicants through the four-to-six-month journey, from initial contact to approval by a panel. She discusses common misconceptions about fostering, the importance of diverse backgrounds, and the com...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of 'Voices of Fostering,' Lisa shares her experiences working within  National Fostering Group and her personal journey growing up in a fostering family. Lisa talks about her role as the Referral Hub Manager in Scotland, the qualities that make a great foster carer, and the significance of supporting birth children involved in fostering. Tune in to hear h...

Send us Fan Mail Join us on this episode of Voices of Fostering as we chat with Theresa, a dedicated foster carer for over 17 years. Theresa shares her inspirational journey from managing a nursery to becoming a foster carer after the loss of her husband. She recounts her initial apprehensions, the challenges she faced, and the deep connections she formed with the children and their birth families...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, we chat with Rachel, a carer recruitment officer from National Fostering Group. Rachel shares her unique story, starting from her life on an RAF base to becoming a foster parent and eventually adopting a child. She discusses the supportive environment of the RAF camp, the decision to foster, and the rewarding experiences it brought. Now, as...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, host Helen sits down with Hilary, a dedicated foster carer, to discuss her and her husband Pierre's decade-long journey in fostering. Hilary shares heartfelt stories about their experiences with over 20 children, the challenges and therapeutic aspects of the assessment process, and the support system available for foster carers. She als...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Voices of Fostering, host Helen sits down with supervising social worker Stefanie to discuss the vital topic of self-care for foster carers. Stefanie shares her background and journey into social work, the role of a social worker within fostering, and delves deeply into the concept of carer fatigue and compassion fatigue. Learn about the signs of burnout, practi...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of 'Voices of Fostering,' Ruth, a dedicated foster carer for 15 months, shares her inspiring journey into fostering. A former teacher and mother of three, Ruth always aspired to foster but only began the process after reconnecting with a friend who was also a foster carer. Ruth discusses the rigorous yet necessary assessment process, emphasising that fost...

Send us Fan Mail In this heartfelt episode of Voices of Fostering, we hear the incredible story of Joan, who was placed in foster care shortly after her birth. Joan shares insights into her upbringing with a caring foster mother, the challenges she faced after her foster mother's passing, and the eventual blessing of being taken in by her foster mother's daughter. Joan reflects on the di...

Send us Fan Mail Becoming a Foster Carer: Insights and FAQs with Nic from National Fostering Group Join us for a special bonus episode of Voices of Fostering, where we speak with Nic, a carer recruitment manager from National Fostering Group. Nic walks us through the entire process of becoming a foster carer, from the initial visit to training, assessments, and finally, getting approved. She also...

Send us Fan Mail Rachel and David share their journey of fostering over the past five years. From their love for children to the unexpected moments that shaped their path, Rachel and David talk candidly about their experiences, including the joys and challenges of balancing birth children with fostering.  If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here . If you hav...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of our Voices of Fostering podcast, we are joined by Amalia, one of our amazing foster carers. She has been fostering for 10 years alongside her husband. Amalia shares her unique journey, from working in high-end casinos and running a pub to becoming a foster carer after seeing a simple advert. She reflects on the joys and challenges of fostering, the emotional ups...

Send us Fan Mail In the latest episode of our Voices of Fostering podcast, Helen speaks with Scott, a foster carer who started fostering in his early 20s. Scott speaks about what inspired him and his wife to step into fostering, how they navigated the challenges of starting during the pandemic, and the emotional experience of welcoming their first placement—two brothers—right before Christmas. If...

Send us Fan Mail For the past 15 years, May has been a dedicated foster carer with NFA Scotland, fulfilling a lifelong dream. She and her husband waited until their daughter turned 16 before taking the step into fostering, ensuring it was the right time for their family. The journey has been a rollercoaster, but one they wouldn’t trade for anything. May is a strong advocate for the practice of min...

Send us Fan Mail Jayne and Ken have been dedicated foster carers for 19 years, and their journey is nothing short of remarkable. In one of our most heartfelt episodes yet, they share stories of children once labelled by local authorities as "children from hell," some facing unimaginable medical challenges. Despite the odds, Jayne and Ken's unwavering support helped these children th...