FosterTalk

14/10/2026

📢 Fostering must be about more than recruitment.

Yesterday, our colleague Ruth Willetts was invited to No. 10 Downing Street for an event ahead of today’s launch of the Government’s national foster carer recruitment campaign, which aims to create 10,000 additional foster care places.
Being part of these important conversations matters. But just as importantly, the voices around the table must reflect the real experiences of the people at the heart of fostering.

While encouraging more people to consider fostering is vital, we must also address the barriers that can prevent people from taking that first step and ensure that existing foster carers and kinship carers receive the recognition, understanding and support they need.

At FosterTalk, we are committed to ensuring that the views, experiences and concerns of our members are heard where decisions are made. We will continue to engage directly with Government bodies and decision-makers, bringing forward our members’ perspectives, raising the issues that matter to them and advocating for meaningful improvements across the sector.

Our priority remains clear: to represent our members independently, ensure their voices are heard and champion the changes needed to support carers and improve outcomes for children and young people.

Read our full statement on the latest developments in fostering and what they mean for carers and the sector.

🔗 Read our statement: https://fostertalk.org/fostering-must-be-about-more-than-recruitment-fostertalk-s-response-to-the-government-s-national-campaign/

14/10/2026

💛 Children of Foster Carers’ Week: Every member of the family matters

What is it really like to grow up in a family that fosters?

In a previous issue of FosterTalk magazine, Becca shared her experience of her family’s fostering journey, which began when she was just 10 years old.

She spoke about the joy of welcoming new people into her home, the friendships and memories made, and the privilege of seeing children grow in confidence and develop new skills.

But Becca also highlighted something equally important: the challenges. Sharing parents, adjusting to change and protecting personal space can sometimes be difficult, too.

Her story is a powerful reminder that while fostering can bring incredible rewards, the experiences and feelings of birth children must never be overlooked.

This Children of Foster Carers’ Week, we’re celebrating the children and young people who are part of fostering families, recognising their contribution and the importance of making sure they feel heard, valued and supported.

At FosterTalk, we believe that supporting foster carers means recognising the needs of the whole family — because every member matters. 💛

📖 Becca’s story reminds us that fostering is a family journey, and every voice deserves to be heard.

13/10/2026

🎗️ HAPPENING THIS THURSDAY – HAVE YOU BOOKED YOUR PLACE?

💗 What can you do to reduce your risk of breast cancer?

Join us this Thursday for an informative and interactive webinar with Thalie Martini from Breast Cancer UK, exploring the steps we can all take to better understand breast cancer and protect our health.

Did you know that at least 1 in 4 breast cancers may be preventable through lifestyle and environmental factors?

This session will help you understand the risks, make informed choices and feel more confident about looking after your health.

💡 What will you learn?
🔹 Factors that can affect breast cancer risk
🔹 How lifestyle, hormones, the environment and everyday chemicals may play a role
🔹 Practical steps to help reduce your risk
🔹 How to check your breasts or chest and recognise changes
🔹 Why awareness and early detection matter
🔹 Plus, a live Q&A with your questions answered!

📅 Thursday 15 October
⏰ 11am–12pm

💗 Open to FosterTalk members and fostering services staff of all genders.

📩 Don't miss out! Check your inbox for booking details and reserve your place today. Take an hour out of your day to learn something that could make a real difference to your health.

09/10/2026

🌟 Help us celebrate Shannon Budd – and cast your vote! 🌟

We’re incredibly proud to see Shannon Budd, founder of Future for Care Leavers, nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year at the EPIC Awards! 🎉

Shannon has worked tirelessly to raise awareness, create valuable resources and empower care-experienced children and young people. Through sharing her own lived experience, she’s helping others understand their rights, build confidence and see the possibilities ahead of them.

At FosterTalk, we’ve been proud to support Shannon’s work, including sharing her brilliant My Rights, My Life! booklet and featuring her on the front cover of our magazine. It’s fantastic to see her dedication and impact receiving this recognition. 💜

👏 Now we need your help! Please take a moment to vote for Shannon and show your support for the incredible work she’s doing for the care-experienced community.

🗳️ Vote here: https://www.epicfuture.co.uk/award-categories

Let’s get behind Shannon and help celebrate the difference she’s making! ❤️

Good luck, Shannon – we’re rooting for you!

for Care Leavers Future

06/10/2026

📢 Important update for FosterTalk members

From 11 October 2026, our counselling service will be moving from Optima to Vita Health Group.

Vita will provide FosterTalk members with access to a confidential counselling and emotional wellbeing service, available 24/7, 365 days a year.

We’ve emailed members with full details about the change, what support will be available and what to expect when accessing the new service.

📩 Please check your inbox for the full update and further information.

21/09/2026

💙 Our FosterTalk office will be closed on 23rd September

On Wednesday, the FosterTalk team is coming together for a full-day staff team meeting.

It’s a great opportunity for our team to catch up, share ideas, look at what we’ve been working on and think about how we can continue to make a difference for our members and the fostering and kinship care community. 💬✨

While our office is closed, your 24-hour membership services are still available. You can find the relevant telephone numbers in your membership information, including details of our out-of-hours support services.

We’ll be back in the office and ready to help on Thursday!

Thank you for your understanding and, as always, for being part of the FosterTalk community. 💙

18/09/2026

🧡Read about our FosterTalk Wellbeing Day - Link in our bio 👆

18/09/2026

✨ Taking time to recharge so we can continue supporting you. ✨

Recently, the FosterTalk team enjoyed a dedicated Staff Wellbeing Day at the beautiful Greenhouse at Barnes Close.

From getting creative with Dragonfly Crafting Workshops and enjoying a delicious brunch, to relaxing walks, visiting the alpacas, mindfulness, yoga with Dr Emily Harris from Nurture Place, and finishing with afternoon tea, the day gave us the opportunity to pause, reconnect and invest in our wellbeing.

Supporting foster carers and our members is what we do every day, and we know that looking after our own wellbeing helps us bring the very best version of ourselves to the people we support.

As our Head of FosterTalk, Ruth Willetts, said:
"Investing in the wellbeing of our staff helps us return with renewed energy, fresh ideas and an even stronger commitment to delivering the high-quality support our members deserve."

Thank you to everyone who helped make the day so special. 💙

Read more about our Wellbeing Day here https://fostertalk.org/fostertalk-team-takes-time-to-recharge-at-wellbeing-day/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

How does your fostering or kinship service support the wellbeing of your carers or staff? We'd love to hear about the initiatives, events or opportunities you offer. Share them with us in the comments or send us a message—you could be featured in an upcoming edition of the FosterTalk Newsletter, helping to inspire others across the fostering community.

Discover how respite care supports both foster carers and children, helping make fostering sustainable and rewarding for the long term.

16/09/2026

💬 This is the kind of feedback that means so much to us.

We’ve recently begun our partnership with National Fostering Group, and last week we attended NFA North for the first time to deliver a support group for their foster carers.

The Regional Manager who attended the session with us later shared some lovely feedback from one of her foster carers, who has been fostering for eight years:

“One of the carers said it was one of the best support groups she has attended in the eight years she has been fostering.” ❤️

To hear that after our very first session with NFA North was such a wonderful way to start our partnership.

At FosterTalk, we’re passionate about making sure foster and kinship carers feel supported, listened to and valued throughout their fostering journey — whether they’re new to fostering or have been doing it for many years.

That’s what FosterTalk membership is all about: real support for real carers. 🧡

We support more than 40,000 members across the UK, with access to:

🧡 24/7 legal, counselling and medical helplines
🧡 Legal insurance
🧡 Specialist tax and benefits advice
🧡 Fostering training
🧡 Allegations support
…and much more.

We’re delighted to be working with National Fostering Group and look forward to supporting even more of their carers.

If your fostering agency is looking for a membership partner that puts carers at the heart of what it does, we’d love to talk.

👉 Find out more at fostertalk.org

15/09/2026

🎗️ Reduce Your Risk: Understanding Breast Cancer & How to Protect Your Health

We’re excited to be joined by Thalie Martini from Breast Cancer UK for an informative and interactive webinar exploring what we can all do to understand and reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Did you know that at least 1 in 4 breast cancers may be preventable through lifestyle and environmental factors?

During the session, Thalie will explore:

🔹 Breast cancer and the factors that can affect your risk
🔹 The role of lifestyle, hormones, the environment and everyday chemicals
🔹 Practical ways to help reduce your risk
🔹 How to check your breasts or chest and what changes to look out for
🔹 The importance of awareness and early detection
🔹 Your questions answered in a live Q&A

Breast cancer touches so many lives, this event welcomes FosterTalk
members and fostering staff of all genders to attend.

📅 15 October
⏰ 11am–12pm

📩 Check your inbox for booking details and reserve your place.