We interviewed a young person who had previously been supported by St Christopher’s, to get their perspective and experience of being in care from a young age, and the journey and insight their honest perspective can highlight…

1) What were your first thoughts when you first went into foster care?
At first, I thought I was going to have a sleepover, as I was really young, I was 5 years old and I was a little bit nervous, but I was excited to start a new life.

2) Did that change? In what way did it change?  How did you feel when you left?
It slowly changed within a few days, and I started to feel safer and more comfortable in my new environment.  I was also very happy that I got to have a new family. I first met my foster mum at the front door and my first words to her was “can I have a sleepover?”, My foster mum said, “yes of course you can”. My foster mum was very kind and gentle towards me, she gave me time to say what I wanted to say and was very patient with me.  She also made incredible food. My foster mum is still a huge part of my life, she is my mum!

Click here to read the full article.

​As part of Foster Care Fortnight 2026 and this year’s theme, “This is Fostering”, we are sharing stories that reflect the care, commitment and community at the heart of fostering. 

Mandy’s nomination came from someone who has known her for many years through CFT, and who wanted to recognise the difference she has made to children, families and fellow foster carers. 

From the very beginning, Mandy stood out as someone others could turn to. 

“From the moment I joined the agency many moons ago, she was always someone us newbies could turn to for support and advice. I noticed from the start she was someone that would go above and beyond.”

That willingness to step forward was clear when another foster carer became very poorly. Mandy came forward and took her foster child into her own home, helping to provide stability during a difficult and unavoidable time of change. 

For the child, this meant being able to stay within CFT, continue attending a familiar school, and remain close to people and surroundings he had started to know.

“As always, Mandy came forward and took her foster child. This meant the child could attend a familiar school, stay within the agency where he had started to get to know others.”

For children in care, change can be unsettling. In this situation, Mandy’s support helped make a difficult transition feel safer and more familiar. She offered not only a place to stay, but a place where the child could feel included, settled and part of family life.  

Click here to read the full article.

Children who come into foster care often arrive with ways of thinking, behaving and relating that have helped them survive difficult early experiences. Trauma‑informed fostering starts with understanding this — and responding in ways that prioritise safety, connection and healing.

At Break, trauma‑informed care is something our foster carers are supported to use every day, with guidance from our therapeutic practitioner and supervising social workers.

Understanding trauma and the developing brain
When children experience ongoing stress, fear, neglect or instability early in life, their brains develop around survival. The brain’s alarm system becomes highly sensitive, keeping the child on high alert even when they are safe.

In these moments, the parts of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, problem‑solving and learning are much harder to access. Behaviour that looks unpredictable or challenging is often a survival response shaped by earlier experiences, showing up in the present.

Calm the body before guiding behaviour
One of the key principles we share with foster carers is: calm the body, then guide the behaviour.

When a child’s nervous system is in survival mode (fight, flight, freeze or shutdown), they aren't in a space to be able to listen to reasoning or correction. Regulation has to come first. This is where practical, everyday techniques make a real difference.

Grounding: coming back to the present 
Grounding techniques help children (and adults) reconnect with the present moment when emotions feel overwhelming. These can be as simple as: 

slow, deep breathing, such as ‘blowing out candles’ 
noticing the senses, like naming things you can see, hear or touch. 
These techniques work best when they’re practised during calm moments, not just in crises. Over time, they become familiar, intentional tools children can draw on when big feelings arise. 

Click here to read the full article.

As part of Foster Care Fortnight 2026 and this year’s theme, “This is Fostering”, we are continuing to share the stories that reflect the compassion, commitment, and everyday realities of fostering.

This story comes from Natalie, a Practice Team Manager in our West Yorkshire team, who nominated foster carers Ricky and Chris for the incredible support, stability, and care they have provided to a young person joining their family.

When reflecting on why she wanted to nominate them, Natalie shared the journey they undertook to ensure a young person, R, experienced a successful transition into their home.

“This year Ricky and chris have welcomed R into their family. This was a big change for everyone but one the carers planned well for. R had already had an unsuccessful move to a long term placement and therefore we knew this time had to be right. Ricky and chris committed to a planed transition including school and placement visits.”

Transitions into foster homes can often feel uncertain and emotional for children and young people, particularly after previous disruptions. Taking the time to carefully plan introductions, build trust, and create familiarity can make a huge difference to how safe and secure a child feels moving forward.

​Natalie explained that Ricky and Chris approached this with total commitment and determination.

Click here to read the full article.

​Colin and Marie have been fostering with Action for Children for 14 years. In this blog, they take us through a day in their lives as foster carers.

Having run a church youth group for over 20 years, Colin and Marie have always been passionate about supporting young people.

So, when they saw an advert for fostering opportunities in a church magazine, it felt like fate.

Colin tells us: "That was it. We decided to give it a try, and here we are 14 years later."

A day in the life as foster carers
Colin and Marie are currently fostering a 14-year-old and nine-year-old.

For them, an average day starts at 7:30am. Once everyone is up and ready, they have breakfast as a family before the school run.

Making time to talk with the children and young people in their care is important to the couple.

Supporting with school
Helping the children with their schoolwork is a key part of Colin and Marie’s day, particularly as one child needs additional support with their studies.

"When he first came to us, he found school extremely difficult."

Click here to read the full article.

Break is shining a light on how it does #FosteringDifferently - and why that difference matters. 

At Break, we believe fostering works best when carers are properly supported and when children are given the stability and consistency they need to heal. Our approach is built on a simple but powerful understanding: that what is damaged in relationships can be healed in relationships. 

Careful matching that lays the foundations for stability 
We take great care to match every child and young person with the right foster family. 

Matching isn’t just about availability — it’s about understanding someone’s needs, experiences and personality, and identifying a family where they can feel safe, understood and supported to grow. We also make sure placements are right for foster carers and their families, because stability and consistency are key to helping children feel secure. 

By taking the time to get matching right, we help give placements the best possible chance to thrive. 

Click here to read the full article.

​As part of Foster Care Fortnight 2026 and this year’s theme, “This is Fostering”, we are celebrating the everyday moments, thoughtful gestures, and relationships that make such a difference across our fostering community.

This story comes from Elaine, one of our foster carers, who wanted to recognise the support she has received from her Senior Supervising Social Worker, Vicki, from our North East team.

When asked why she wanted to nominate Vicki, Elaine shared a moment that perfectly captures the quiet kindness and thoughtfulness that can mean so much to foster families and the children they care for.

“Vicki often goes out of her way to show kindness to J&J. Prior to JRG’s 18 birthday she had some money to spend as a gift from the CFT. JRG is a huge Formula 1 fan and loves all the F1 merchandise. Vicki offered to ask her son to buy some F1 merchandise from America where he was working at the time.”

For many people, fostering is often associated with the big milestones and life-changing moments – but so much of fostering is found in the smaller, everyday acts of care and thoughtfulness. Remembering what a young person enjoys, helping to make a birthday feel special, or simply showing that someone is truly seen and valued can have a lasting impact.

Elaine explained that this moment stood out because it reflected the kind of support Vicki consistently provides.

Click here to read the full article.

Our South West Fostering Team arranged for our young people to attend school over the Easter Holidays – but this wasn’t their regular school!

During the Easter Holidays, our Bristol Forest School event was attended by a small group of our young people. Throughout the day, both the young people and their carers took part in a variety of engaging activities. They learned about leaf printing, and created moulded clay medals and necklaces – as well as flags using leaf prints. They also enjoyed toasting marshmallows and eating wood-fired pizzas.

The group also took part in a treasure hunt, searching for items such as pinecones and stick-made arrows, and finished the day by participating in a range of different games. Some of the young people who attended had never met before, but left having made new friends. It was a great opportunity for both foster carers and young people to connect, socialise, and build new relationships.

Click here to read the full article.

On Wednesday 29 April, we brought together over 70 business representatives for an evening of networking and inspiring talks to launch our new partnerships programme.

The event, 'Partnering with Purpose’, was held at The Yard Coffee at Pivotal House, where we welcomed a mix of existing supporters and new business connections from across the region. It marked the introduction of our refreshed partnerships offer, including our Supporter Network, aimed at helping organisations combine meaningful social impact with their CSR and ESG ambitions.

Broadcaster Jake Humphrey, best known for his work across Premier League football, Formula One and The High Performance Podcast, delivered a talk on why social value is business critical, drawing on his experience to explore the role businesses can play in creating positive change.

Jake said: "I’m a firm believer in the power of charity, and I’ve seen first‑hand how ambitious Break is for the young people it supports. They're brilliant at tailoring partnerships with businesses like yours in line with what you can offer and want to achieve, resulting in real, meaningful impact. You really can help change lives.”

Click here to read the full article.

A new inspection has praised Barnardo’s Cymru Fostering Service for its nurturing care and strong support.

Inspectors have praised Barnardo’s Cymru Fostering Service in a new report, praising the “consistent nurturing care and support” the charity provides. Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) carried out the inspection in March this year at the service’s base in Caerphilly.

At the time of the report, Barnardo’s Cymru Fostering Service was supporting a number of children and young people living with foster families.

Inspectors also highlighted that children live in “warm, welcoming homes where they feel safe and included” which are well monitored to make sure they meet children’s needs, and that foster carers are “well trained, trauma-informed and advocate strongly for children”. 

Click here to read the full article.