BFANI is on tour! In a series of episodes we shall be meeting families and fellow team members from across the UK fostering and adoption services as we explore, in depth, some of the specific experiences, highs, lows and challenges facing families who foster and adopt.

This time, we're in Scotland where we meet Carole, a foster carer who specialises in short term, temporary fostering.

Carole shares her journey from casually supporting a neighbour to becoming a short term foster carer. Carol shares her experiences of navigating the initial excitement of new foster children, transitioning them into structured routines, working with birth families and children from diverse cultural backgrounds - and sitting with uncertainty in a time of change for the children placed with her. Carole provides a heartfelt and insightful look into the day-to-day life of fostering. She opens up about the impact these transitions have had on her family, especially with the arrival of her grandchildren, offering a relatable and eye-opening perspective for anyone considering fostering.

Learn more about fostering and adoption with Barnardo’s:
https://www.barnardos.org.uk/get-support/fostering-and-adoption

To learn more about fostering and adoption in NI, visit our Linktr.ee:
https://linktr.ee/barnardosfosteringni

To ask a question, give us some feedback or make a topic request, email us at:
BFANI@barnardos.org.uk

Foster belonging with us!

Meet Barnardo's foster carers, Gillian and Megan, sisters in law who support each other on their fostering journey. Together, they shed light on how their families support each other and reflect on the vital role support networks play in fostering.

In this engaging conversation, we dive into the heart of blended foster families, a world where birth children, adopted kids, and foster children grow up together. Gillian and Megan share their strategies for nurturing strong bonds with their foster children and reflect on the importance of a reliable support network, particularly when it comes to understanding trauma and the ways it can present.

Join us for this inspiring discussion with two foster carers supporting their foster children within one big family.

To learn more about fostering and adoption with us, visit our Linktr.ee https://linktr.ee/barnardosfosteringni

Parent and child fostering is a very specialised type of fostering.

Parent and child placements give parents, with new babies or very young children, the opportunity to develop their parenting skills and gain support from a specially trained foster carer. These placements can help keep families together.

In this episode, meet Laura a passionate advocate of parent and child fostering who began her fostering journey with Barnardo's in 2015. We're also joined by Ben from our team who gives us an insight into application process and the skills required. We delve into the depths of parent and child fostering support, highlighting the crucial role of fostering connections and building trust.

This episode is a treasure trove of insights, experiences, and advice for those interested in this life-changing journey. Be sure to tune in and get an inside look into the world of parent and child fostering.

To learn more about fostering and adoption with us, visit our Linktr.ee https://linktr.ee/barnardosfosteringni