Carolyn Moody MBE’s Post

Another of the fabulous we captured of the amazing foster carers from Wanslea, talking about the benefits and life-changing impact of being a foster carer ... all as a part of our #OpenYourDoor campaign ro raise awareness and interest in becoming a foster carer supported by Wanslea. If you can care, you can foster care. Every child is unique, so Wanslea welcomes equally diverse foster carers ... people from all walks of life. Foster Children only care about one thing: that you care. Be the person that opens up new hope and possibilities for a foster child. Whether you choose to support children with higher needs or provide emergency care, you could be the turning point for a child. It changes and enriches their life. Yours too. And with our team providing ongoing support, fostering with Wanslea can make the experience even more rewarding. Have a look and let us know what you think (keep the tissues handy :) ... and check out their and other videos (use the hash tags #OpenYourDoor to navigate recent campaign posts) campaign page :) Get in touch to find out more :) #Key2 #aCreativeForceForGood #OpenYourDoor #FosterCare

I continue to support young adults who have aged out of foster care, as do many others. For years, I’ve been vocal in advocating for a stronger care system and meaningful support for the dedicated army of foster carers who give so much under incredibly challenging conditions. Yet, despite all that foster carers and fostering families across the UK do, they remain undervalued and often unheard. One of the most vital support mechanisms we have is ‘Staying Put’ introduced in 2014—a lifeline that allows young people to remain with their foster families beyond the age of 18, offering stability at a crucial time in their lives. This initiative has been essential, providing continuity and security for care leavers when they need it most. However, since its launch, Staying Put has suffered from a lack of investment. Foster carers willing to continue supporting these young adults face significant challenges due to limited resources and inconsistent support. It’s time to recognise and invest in Staying Put, ensuring it has the funding and structure to genuinely support care leavers and the families who stand by them. These young people deserve a system that doesn’t abandon them at 18, and foster carers deserve the backing to continue providing the stability they have fought to offer. 👉LinkedIn is filled with professionals in children’s services, and each of you holds significant influence! Let’s advocate for real change. Invest in Staying Put. Invest in our young people 🙏 #StayingPut #FosterCare #SupportCareLeavers #SystemChange #FosteringFamilies #EndTheCareCliff #NCLW2024

📝 The FosterWiki Manifesto: A 10-Point Reform Agenda for Foster Care “At FosterWiki, we are committed to offering not just recommendations, but actionable solutions—many of which are fully developed and ready for implementation. Our manifesto outlines these practical steps designed to transform foster care and secure the outcomes our children and care leavers rightfully deserve. We urge your party to support these vital reforms and help us make a lasting difference in the lives of those in foster care.” — FosterWiki 2024 The number of children in care continues to rise, with over 100,000 in the UK care system in 2023—the equivalent of one child entering care every 15 minutes. Seventy percent of these children live with foster families who provide safe, loving, and nurturing homes when birth families cannot. 💙 The Role of Foster Carers: Foster carers have a unique opportunity to transform lives, address inequalities, and help children flourish. 👉 Read more about The FosterWiki Manifesto here: https://lnkd.in/eux3KXnR #FosterCareReform #FosterCare

https://lnkd.in/eS_uvCHK 👉This survey, with its unprecedented insights from the frontline, stands as a beacon of independence, free from government or corporate influence. 👉The response speaks volumes: nearly 2,500 foster carers participated, contributing over 14,500 written comments, making it the sector’s largest independent survey of foster carers. 👉I was deeply sorry to read the comments, many of which expressed a desperate cry for help from the frontline. 👉The need for support is critical, not only for the foster carers but also for the children they care for. 👉Without addressing these issues, the decline in foster carers will persist, and the negative outcomes for foster children will continue. #FosterCarerVoices #FosterCareAwareness #SupportFosterCarers #FosterWikiSurvey #FosterCare #FosterCareSupport

https://lnkd.in/eS_uvCHK The response speaks volumes, with nearly 2,500 respondents and over 14,500 written comments A recurring theme throughout was a desperate cry for help from the frontline, not only for the foster carers themselves but for the children they care for, underscoring the remarkable resilience of foster carers in the face of immense adverse challenges 👉This underscores serious issues that must be addressed. If these problems are not tackled, the decline in foster carers will continue, and the negative outcomes for foster children will worsen. It’s crucial to confront these realities to drive real and effective improvements in the foster care system #FosterCareReform #FosterCareAwareness #FosterWikiIndependentSurvey2024

This foster carer’s statement raises valid points. And they are right to express frustration about the disparity between the financial support provided to foster families and the expectations placed on them by children’s services 👇 “These children, as we are told numerous times, are not ours, yet we are expected to supplement the financial responsibilities of children's services to ensure that those children receive the care laid out in government regulations. The government need to fully accept responsibility for their children and cover the cost of raising their children. There has been a drastic reduction in what we can purchase for the allowances we receive but no reduction in the expectation from children's services.” Foster carer Read ‘The Impact of the Cost-of-Living Crisis on Foster Carers: 2022 Survey Results #FosterWiki As of 2024, the challenges remain, with financial pressures affecting foster carers ability to support children adequately. https://lnkd.in/em2QuG_f #FosterCare #FosterWiki #CostOfLivingCrisis #SupportFosterFamilies

I read a post today on LinkedIn which, if I’m honest, didn’t surprise me. However, sadly, it seemed to diminish the voices of foster carers from all walks of life. What’s even more surprising is that the person who posted it is in a great position to champion foster carers and is part of the fostering community. As someone who has fostered for 20 years and continues to support those same former foster children as adults through shared lives, I know firsthand how important our voices are. Our experiences are valid, and they matter. Even though I’m no longer a foster carer, I remain very much an active part of the fostering community, and my experiences are still valid. I have lived the challenges and successes of the system, alongside those with care experience. Supporting former foster children as adults has shown me that fostering isn’t just temporary—it’s a lifelong commitment. I may not foster today, but my voice and perspective still matter in conversations about the system and through the FosterWiki community. We all bring something important to the table—experience stays with us, and so does the commitment to make a difference. It’s not the first time this has happened, and it happens far too often. It’s disheartening to see any attempt to silence those who have lived it, especially when we are all working towards the same goal—supporting children and those caring for them. #FosterCare #FosterCarers #LivedExperience #FosteringMatters #FosterWiki

Why become a foster carer? 💚 I’m often asked why I discuss fostering daily with individuals considering this journey. The answer is simple—fostering changes lives, not only for the children and young people who need a safe, supportive home, but also for the carers who find incredible fulfilment in making a lasting impact. 𝐼𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑈𝐾, 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 15 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑎 𝑓𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦 (𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘, 2024). The number of children in need of a foster home is greater than the number of registered foster carers in the UK. An estimated one in five in England are placed more than 20 miles from home because a foster family cannot be found to look after them nearby (The Fostering Network, 2024). 𝑀𝑦 𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑟 6𝑡ℎ 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔-𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑎 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟, 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡. 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑟𝑠, 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑛. Foster carers are truly remarkable individuals who open a new chapter in their lives by welcoming children into their homes during times of great need. If fostering is something you’ve been considering but still have many unanswered questions, reach out to RSD Fostering today for a confidential discussion ☎ 📞 (01752) 717666 ✉ info@rsdfostering.co.uk Open your heart, home - and begin your fostering discussion today! #Fostering #FosterCarers #Fostercarerschangelives #FosteringJourney

Considering a Change? ⭐ There are many reasons why as an approved foster carer you may be considering leaving your current foster agency or local authority. As an approved foster carer, you are entitled to transfer to another agency and we use the Fostering Network’s transfer protocol. Foster carers can only be approved with one agency or local authority at a time. At Credo Care, we work with you and your current agency or local authority to make sure everyone understands what will happen and that any children or young people placed with you are fully supported throughout the transfer process. If you're contemplating a change, we'd love to hear from you! Find out what makes Credo Care stand out from other fostering agencies or local authorities. Contact us today to learn more! #credocare #fostercare #specialistfostercare #fostercareawareness #fostering #nobarriers #disabilityawareness #disabilityinclusion #fostercarers #disabilityfostering #fosterfamily

“Hidden foster care" – when a child is removed from their family and placed in the care of kin outside of the formal foster care system – is never an appropriate or adequate child protection response. Unlike formal foster care, no support is offered to the child or their caregiver, and no plans are made to safely reunify the child with their parents. This brief shares three principles agencies should follow instead: https://bit.ly/3VyCkoc #ChildWelfare #FosterCare #HiddenFosterCare