Over the past few weeks, we have had the privilege of reading and sharing stories from across our CFT community – stories that celebrated foster carers, staff, birth children, and the many people who make fostering what it is. Through every nomination, one thing became clear: fostering is made up of moments that often go unseen – acts of kindness, patience, consistency, support, humour, and people quietly showing up for one another every day.
These stories gave us the opportunity to pause and reflect. They reminded us that while fostering can bring challenge, uncertainty, and emotional highs and lows, there is also so much joy, connection, growth, and pride. Great outcomes are not always instant – they are often built over time through trust, stability, and relationships that continue long after a child leaves a foster home.
Reading these reflections also reminded us of something important: while we celebrate the incredible contribution of our carers, staff, and birth children, we must also celebrate our children in care. They bring their own personalities, strengths, humour, resilience, and perspectives. They challenge us, teach us, and change us – often in ways we never expect. They enrich our lives and become part of our stories, just as we become part of theirs.
One reflection that captures this beautifully comes from Helen and Nick, who wanted to share what fostering has meant to them personally.
“As we celebrate Fostering Fortnight, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on what fostering has meant to us personally as foster carers.
Over the years, we have shared so many special moments, built meaningful relationships, and watched children grow in confidence, personality, and happiness; Especially reflecting on our last two placements, both of whom came to us as newborn babies.
One little girl arrived at just one day old and the other at two days old. Although both children moved on through adoption, they remain a huge part of our lives, just as we remain part of theirs and their family units.
One little girl is now four and a half years old and the other is just over two, and we continue to enjoy regular visits and treasured time together.
Seeing them continue to grow, thrive, and be happy brings us enormous joy. We are so thankful that these relationships have remained strong and meaningful, and they will always be part of our family.
Our fostering journey has also given us the opportunity to embrace and respect different cultures and backgrounds. One little girl has a Latvian mother, while the other little girl has Muslim parents. Supporting children from different cultural and religious backgrounds.
We also often reflect on our very first placement, who came to live with us at the age of nine and remained with us until he was fifteen.
Even after leaving our care, the relationship and bond remained strong. He chose to spend his eighteenth, nineteenth, and twenty-first birthdays with us, which meant so much to us as foster carers.
We are still in touch now, and at twenty-three years old he continues to hold a very special place in our hearts.
During this Fostering Fortnight, we are proud to celebrate the children and young people who have been part of our journey and continue to be an expansion of our family.”
Helen and Nick’s reflection captures something that came through in so many of the stories shared with us – fostering is about relationships, and those relationships do not always end when a placement does. Sometimes they continue in new ways and become part of a family’s story forever.
As we look back on all the nominations and reflections shared with us, we want to thank everyone who took the time to celebrate somebody else. Your stories have reminded us that fostering is not always easy, but through patience, consistency, care, and connection, extraordinary things can happen. And perhaps most importantly, they have reminded us that while we may open our homes to children and young people – they open our hearts and lives in return.
