Fostering Changes is a ten-week programme that supports foster carers to understand what may lie beneath behaviour, strengthen relationships and respond thoughtfully to the challenges of fostering.
Combining practical approaches with time for reflection, the course builds on the knowledge, experience and strengths you already bring to caring.
This substantially redeveloped edition builds on the established foundations of Fostering Changes, bringing together contemporary understanding of attachment, trauma, development, neurodiversity and emotional regulation.
At its heart is a central idea: the relationship is the intervention. Consistent, caring relationships can provide powerful opportunities for children and young people to feel safe, develop trust and grow in confidence.
You are not expected to become a therapist. Instead, the programme considers how ordinary experiences, being listened to, receiving reassurance, having clear boundaries and reconnecting after a difficult moment, can contribute to change over time.
There is no single approach that works for every young person or every fostering family. Fostering Changes helps you consider different perspectives, recognise what is already helping and develop responses that reflect the needs of the young people in your care.
Fostering Changes is designed for foster carers who want to deepen their understanding of children and young people, strengthen their relationships and develop their confidence in responding to everyday situations.
The programme includes a focus on adolescence, identity and growing independence, alongside reflection on your own responses, wellbeing and support needs.
Across the programme, you will have opportunities to:
Understand what behaviour may be communicating, considering development, relationships, trauma, neurodiversity, sensory needs and current circumstances.
Reflect on your own responses, including how your experiences, expectations and emotions can influence interactions.
Support emotional regulation, exploring practical ways to manage your own stress and help young people feel calmer and more connected.
Strengthen communication and trust, including maintaining connection and repairing relationships after difficult moments.
Hold clear, respectful boundaries that support safety and predictability while recognising the needs of everyone involved.
Notice strengths and progress, using Solution Focused thinking to recognise existing resources, effort and small steps forward.
Support identity, belonging and independence, helping young people develop choice, confidence and capability.
Make caring more sustainable, recognising the importance of your own wellbeing, relationships and access to support.
Your experience is an important part of the learning. Throughout the programme, you will have space to bring questions, share observations and reflect alongside other foster carers.
Some ideas may be new, others may strengthen something you already do well. The aim is to help you feel more informed, supported and confident in making thoughtful choices within your own fostering relationships.
For more information, contact [email protected]