At The Fostering Network we are fortunate to be guided by a brilliant board of 12 trustees, each bringing their own experience of the care system, with most having direct experience of foster carers. To mark Trustees' Week 2026 Chris has written about his life as a foster carer and how it informs his role on our board.
Can you share a bit about yourself and your connection to fostering?
I am now happily retired, but for more than 25 years I served in the RAF. I met my wife in Norfolk on my first posting, where she was working as a riding instructor for her former foster carers.
Over the next 25 years we travelled the world, raised our two daughters, and often talked about fostering as something we might one day do ourselves.
After leaving the RAF, I worked as an education adviser in local government, at one point sharing a building with the fostering and adoption team.
When our daughters went off to university, we decided it was the right time to begin our fostering journey. Following training and assessment, we were approved as foster carers in 2010.
Our original plan was simple. We thought we might foster for a few years and focus on short-term placements of up to two or three years.
After initially providing respite care, we went on to foster two sets of twins. The girls stayed with us for nearly a year, while the boys have now been part of our family for 16 years. They are now in a Staying Put arrangement and may move on to Shared Lives care in the future.
What led you to become a trustee at The Fostering Network?
Throughout my career in local government, working on national programmes and at a regional and strategic level, I developed a strong interest in the bigger picture of public services and social policy.
Alongside fostering, I became a member of a local authority fostering panel. When I saw an advert for trustees in The Fostering Network’s Foster Care magazine, I felt I could bring both relevant professional expertise and lived experience to the role, so I applied.
What does your role involve?
Being a trustee involves many responsibilities. Alongside the statutory duties that apply to all charities, we help ensure compliance with Charity Commission requirements and provide oversight of the organisation's strategic direction.
We also play an important role in both supporting and constructively challenging the organisation as a critical friend. We help shape priorities and ensure that the experiences of foster carers and the children they care for are reflected in policy discussions and decision-making.
During my RAF career, particularly as a staff officer, I worked extensively with service charities and gained valuable experience of charity governance. That background has proven extremely useful in my trustee role.
Equally important is the perspective I bring as a foster carer. Our family has experienced the realities of fostering first-hand, from training and day-to-day caring responsibilities to navigating stretched services and advocating for children whose needs are not always fully understood or met.
I bring that reality to the boardroom, alongside the many rewarding and joyful moments that fostering has given our family.
What has stood out during your time as a trustee?
One of the most significant periods was the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought additional pressures and complexities for fostering families across the UK.
Other highlights include supporting the appointment of the current senior leadership team and chief executive, contributing to discussions around the Mockingbird programme, and helping celebrate the extraordinary achievements of foster carers through The Fostering Network's annual awards.
Perhaps most importantly, it is rewarding to see long-term programmes develop and to help ensure the voices of fostered children, young people and foster carers are heard. There is rarely a simple answer to the challenges facing fostering, but when fostering works well, the positive impact on children's lives is unmistakable.
How does your lived experience help shape the decisions you make?
Our lived experience as foster carers has had a profound influence on what I bring to the trustee role.
Throughout our fostering journey, we have often had to be strong advocates for the children in our care. That has sometimes meant asking difficult questions, challenging decisions, and persisting when support has not been forthcoming.
We successfully secured assessments, support and educational provision relating to neurodiversity and complex needs, including Education, Health and Care Plans. Like any parent, we wanted to ensure our young people had the opportunities and support they deserved.
Exam results matter because they can open doors, but they are only part of the picture. What matters most is that young people leave care knowing who they are, feeling valued, and having the confidence, identity and resilience to move forward into adulthood.
Above all, we are immensely proud of everything they have achieved.
What is one issue in fostering that you're particularly passionate about?
A year ago, I would probably have said SEND and the need for health, education and social care services to work together more effectively to support children in foster care.
While I remain passionate about that, I would now add another pressing issue: the cliff edge many young people face when they turn 18.
The transition into adulthood remains one of the greatest challenges in the fostering sector. Many young people are managing A-levels, university applications and major life decisions while simultaneously navigating Universal Credit, disability benefits, housing arrangements and other complex systems.
Even for experienced foster carers, these processes can be difficult, lengthy and frustrating. For young people, the uncertainty can feel overwhelming.
At a point when they most need stability and clarity, too many face complexity and inconsistency. We need to do more to ensure that vulnerable young people receive the support, certainty and opportunities they deserve as they move towards independence.
