We’re excited to announce the launch of Making Spaces, a new grant programme designed to help foster carers increase their room capacity to welcome more children into their homes.

The Making Spaces grants are intended to support our foster carers to bring an existing room into use for a foster child, or to create a new room altogether. This might involve subdividing a larger room or repurposing a space currently used for something else – such as a home office.

The scheme is about removing barriers and making it possible for carers to continue fostering or to offer a home to another child who needs one. Although it’s only recently launched, the scheme is already having a meaningful impact, with 11 applications received to date.

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TACT Fostering have kicked off a year-long programme of reading activities and engagement for young people, with a dedicated session from children’s author and illustrator, Nick Sharratt.

The celebrated illustrator for Jacqueline Wilson, and author in his own right for books such as Shark in the Park, lead an online draw-along for TACT’s young people on 18th February – which was both fun and inspirational. He took the participants through how to create texture and depth, and how to draw facial features with expressions. Throughout the session he told stories about some of the characters he’d created and how his childhood inspired his drawings.

A TACT foster carer, who joined the online session, noticed a positive change in a young person in their care: “He has loved learning to draw – and sessions like this have been incredible for his development and his confidence. He now loves drawing and is now proud of all his work.”

The session forms part of a wider programme of events and activities that have been devised and planned by TACT’s dedicated Education Service, to coincide with the National Year of Reading campaign.

Tina Bull, one of TACT’s Education Advisory Teachers, said: “Sessions like this, particularly when we can call on established writers and illustrators, are wonderfully inspiring for our young people. This is a fantastic start to our National Year of Reading programme of events, and we would like to thank Nick wholeheartedly for his time, thoughtfulness and energy!

“Throughout our sessions, if we can inspire just one of our young people to read more regularly or more widely, the work and planning for our year-long calendar of activities will have been worth it.”

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As an Engagement and Activity Practitioner, you will be a part of our amazing team of professionals working with our organisational values at the heart of their everyday practice.

We are looking for someone with experience in running group and individual activities and who is willing to engage in physical activities with children and young people.  

This role requires the candidate to meet with children and young people in person across the East, West, North London, Essex (borders of London) & Hertfordshire (borders of London).; therefore, the use of a car suitable for transporting children is an essential requirement of the post, along with the ability to travel extensively within TACT and to other locations, working flexibly around hours and days, including weekends and occasional evenings .

The successful candidate will be required to attend regular monthly face-to-face meetings in London, as well as other face-to-face meetings such as training and team wellbeing events.

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TACT is delighted to announce its first approved foster carer to come from its Step Forward project in Bury, marking a significant milestone for the charity.

Step Forward is a specialist fostering model designed for children and young people living in residential care who are ready to live in a family environment. Many of these children have experienced trauma and may need additional emotional or behavioural support. Step Forward carers are part of a professional team and are matched to each child to ensure their individual needs and personalities are fully understood and supported.

Caroline, our first approved carer to come from the project, will be a ‘hub carer’. A hub carer is retained full time to support up to six young people along with their step forward foster carers. They offer advice and support, and work closely as a part of the wider support team. Caroline is a registered Creative Arts Psychotherapist and has worked with children and young people previously using a trauma informed approach. Caroline, who has supported large organisations and charities to develop trauma informed practices, said: “The Step Forward model recognises that children with complex experiences need more than just a placement, they need a team around them and carers who are supported. It’s much more about providing safety and consistency over time and understanding that these children may hold a lot of trauma.

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TACT South Coast are looking for a children’s resource worker to collaborate with them to support foster children and carers within Hampshire and Dorset. The ideal Children’s Resource Worker will already have some experience in engagement and participation with vulnerable children, young people, care experienced children or have similar experience in child-facing settings. 

Activities would include completing one-one work with children and young people, taking to activities, completing emotional literacy work. High level of flexibility required to cover weekends, evenings and bank holidays. Occasionally may be required to support with overnight residentials and night support within the foster home.

Car driver and owning a car is essential. There will be opportunities for training and development for this role, as new workers join us at our organisation wide journey to become a fully trauma-informed organisation.

The successful candidate will undertake essential  duties that will impact positively on the long-term outcomes for the young people and children in our care. This role is an essential part of the wider team, working in close partnership with parents, carers, young people, local authorities and their social workers. 

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As the Deputy Manager (Step Forward Fostering), you will be responsible for the development, expansion, carer recruitment and operational management of Step Forward fostering hubs across the regional area. Which will involve engaging with and working in partnership with others to deliver a network of hubs across the region that meet children and young people’s needs as well as the Local Authority’s needs.

Overall Duties of the Deputy Manager (Step Forward Fostering) will include:

• Promote the development of Step Forward fostering across the UK.
• Engage with potential funding partners to promote business growth.
• Support the establishment of new operational local Step Forward hubs in other regions.
• Sharing learning, offering advice with others to support business development across TACT.
• Be member of project groups to develop other types of fostering for children with highest need.
• To be a member of the regional/nations management team and deputise for the Area Manager/Services Manager in their absence.
• Responsible for the regions/nations specialist Step Forward fostering service including management of team members.

Click here for full job details.

As the Deputy Manager (Step Forward Fostering), you will be responsible for the development, expansion, carer recruitment and operational management of Step Forward fostering hubs across the regional area. Which will involve engaging with and working in partnership with others to deliver a network of hubs across the region that meet children and young people’s needs as well as the Local Authority’s needs.

​​Overall Duties of the Deputy Manager (Step Forward Fostering) will include:

• Promote the development of Step Forward fostering across the UK.
• Engage with potential funding partners to promote business growth.
• Support the establishment of new operational local Step Forward hubs in other regions.
• Sharing learning, offering advice with others to support business development across TACT.
• Be member of project groups to develop other types of fostering for children with highest need.
• To be a member of the regional/nations management team and deputise for the Area Manager/Services Manager in their absence.
• Responsible for the regions/nations specialist Step Forward fostering service including management of team members.

Click here for full job details.

A new partnership between TACT Fostering and global talent leader Randstad aims to help young people in Greater Manchester move out of residential care and into stable, nurturing family homes.  

The Step Forward Scheme responds directly to urgent government calls to recruit more foster carers and reduce reliance on residential care, with Children and Families Minister Josh MacAlister warned that too many young people are entering residential care simply because there are not enough foster homes available.  

Supporting Young People Across Greater Manchester 
Many young people in residential care across Greater Manchester are ready to move into a family environment but cannot do so due to a lack of suitable foster carers. 

Step Forward offers a therapeutic, highly supported model designed to help these young people thrive within a family setting that is more suited to their needs. The pilot will work closely with local authorities across the region to identify young people who would benefit from this transition. 

Recruiting Local People with the Right Skills 
The partnership with Randstad aims to reach people across Greater Manchester who may be considering a career change, particularly those working in education, healthcare, youth work, policing, residential care, and social care. 

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February 9th-15th 2026 saw the return of The Place to Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week. The theme for this year is This Is My Place with a focus on supporting the systems around children to help them feel they belong.

Promoting a sense of belonging
There have been a number of theories and models published over many years which explore the benefits of children feeling that they belong including Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1957) and Belongingness Hypothesis (Baumeister & Leary 1995). It’s widely recognised across the health and social care professions that promoting a sense of belonging is not only required to help a child reach their full potential but is essential for a child’s overall emotional and physiological health. Research studies and findings demonstrate that when children feel connected, accepted, and valued within their family, school, and community – they are better able to form secure relationships, which supports healthy emotional development and positive self-esteem. A strong sense of belonging also reduces stress and anxiety, lowering cortisol levels and supporting healthy brain development, sleep, and immune functioning.

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Thousands more children in the social care system in England will grow up in loving and supportive homes, under government plans to recruit up to 10,000 new foster carers this parliament, giving more children the best possible start in life and opening up opportunity for every young person regardless of their background.  

A major recruitment drive, proposed by Government today, will tackle the critical shortage of foster carers in England, where approved carer numbers have fallen sharply, while the number of children in care has risen.  

This shortage means too many children are placed far from home or end up in residential care, where they often face struggles in school, health difficulties and even exploitation or exposure to criminal activity.  

The plans will be backed by £88 million of funding to support foster carers and the network of frontline services that support them. It also means better support for existing foster carers, including clarity on the help available, assistance with home improvements, and access to peer support and advice through regional fostering hubs. 

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