Let's Talk Fostering & Adoption
Interested in fostering or adoption? Not sure where to start?
Welcome to the Barnardo's Fostering & Adoption podcast, Let's Talk Fostering.
Let your guide, Ness, introduce you to foster carers and adopters, from across the UK, who are willing to share their experiences and give you (and Ness) insights into the world of fostering and adoption. What is it really like? What is 'Panel'? What kind of training can you expect? What sort of support will you get? Will you be able to work and foster? What is the difference between fostering and adoption? What can you expect in the assessment process?
This is the place to find answers to these questions and more. Over the coming episodes, we will be talking through the application process, the kinds of professional training and support you can expect and the different types of fostering, including fostering to adoption and parent and child fostering. We will speak with those who've walked the walk (and can talk the talk) from right across our services in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Barnardo's needs more families, couples and single carers, from all walks of life, whether they are considering fostering and/or adoption, to ensure that when children need a loving family, the right one is there for them. Could it be you?
To learn more about Fostering & Adoption with Barnardo's visit https://www.barnardos.org.uk/get-support/fostering-and-adoption
Arrange a no-strings attached call here: https://www.barnardos.org.uk/foster/register-to-foster
To ask a question, give us some feedback or make a topic request, contact Ness at vanessa.haynes@barnardos.org.uk.
Together, we can change lives.
Episodes
22 episodes
BARNARDO'S BITESIZE: How Two Dads Found Their Family Through Adoption
Two dads, Lee and Bobby, share their journey adopting siblings, from the validation of being approved as parents to navigating their sons' unique personalities and trauma responses. Their story highlights the importance of maintaining connectio...
BARNARDO'S BITESIZE: Parent and Child Fostering with Laura and Ben
Parent and child fostering brings unique challenges as you welcome both a vulnerable young parent and their baby into your home for an intensive placement. We explore the delicate balance between supporting new parents while documenting their p...
BARNARDO'S BITESIZE: What is Therapeutic Parenting?
Therapeutic parenting recognises children's behaviour as communication and focuses on nurturing connections to help children who've experienced trauma develop trust and security. Unlike traditional parenting approaches, therapeutic parenting re...
Story Work: Helping Foster Children Make Sense of Their Past
What happens when a child in foster care asks the profound questions: "Who am I?" "Why am I here?" or "What happened to my parents?" These seemingly simple questions require thoughtful, age-appropriate responses that honour a child's right to ...
BARNARDO'S BITESIZE: The Assessment Process
Thinking about fostering but feeling overwhelmed by the process? Too busy to listen to the longer episode? We've got your back!This bitesize episode pulls back the curtain on the fostering assessment, walking you through exactly what...
Meet Adoptive Dads, Bobby and Lee
This episode we meet Lee and Bobby, two dads who have adopted two brothers through Barnardo's in the South East. They share their inspiring journey, from navigating the adoption to embracing the chaos that came with welcoming their ...
Three Children And A Rabbit: The BFANI Story
Barnardo's Fostering and Adoption NI, aka BFANI, is marking its 45th anniversary this year and so we decided to uncover BFANI's origins story and meet the person who is responsible for getting it all started in NI. Lynda Wilson's jo...
Fostering at Christmas
Christmas may be 'the most wonderful time of the year' but we can all agree most families will face a few ups and downs during the festive season. But what might that look like if you're also fostering a child who might have very mixed feelings...
From IVF to Adoption
What if the path to parenthood looked different than you'd imagined? Join us on a heartfelt exploration of adoption in the UK, featuring Emma, an adopter in the South East who has journeyed through the highs and lows of IVF, alongside Sharon, t...
What is Therapeutic Parenting?
ICYMI - this was recording during an online information session with our therapeutic parenting trainer, Stella. Stella brings a wealth of experience and knowledge about fostering and adoption, and she shares how therapeutic parenti...
A Conversation With A Birth Mum
How would you navigate life if your childhood was marked by neglect and abuse? In this very special episode from our BFANI on Tour! series, we meet an English birth mum who experienced two of her three children being taken into foster care but ...
Transitions with Carole
This episode we're in Scotland where we meet Carole, a foster carer who specialises in short term, temporary fostering. Carole shares her journey from casually supporting a neighbour to becoming a short term foster carer. Carol sha...
Families Who Foster Together: Meet Gillian and Megan
Meet Barnardo's foster carers, Gillian and Megan, sisters in law who support each other on their fostering journey. Together, they shed light on how their families support each other and reflect on the vital role support networks play in foster...
Parent and Child Fostering with Laura and Ben
Parent and child fostering is a very specialised type of fostering. Parent and child placements give parents, with new babies or very young children, the opportunity to develop their parenting skills and gain support from a special...
Meet the NI Adoption Agencies!
Did you know Barnardo’s Fostering & Adoption NI is just one of a small group of voluntary adoption agencies in Northern Ireland?In this very special panel discussion, to mark Adoption Week, Adoption Routes, Family Car...
Navigating the Fostering Assessment Process with Ben Rice
So you’re interested in fostering?What happens after you make first contact? What kinds of questions will you be asked? What can you expect? What kind of information will you be given? What is the assessment p...
Fostering & Adoption with Tony, Aine and Helen
ICYMI - revisit our online event where we chat with Helen Browne, head of the Barnardo's Fostering & Adoption service in NI, and discuss working while fostering. We also meet Tony and Aine who fostered a baby shortly after appr...
Fostering to Adoption with Rachel & Priscilla
Ness talks with Priscilla, Northern Ireland's former Operations Manager who spearheaded our new NI adoption service - and Rachel who talks about her experiences as a foster carer now going through the adoption process.We also discu...
TRAILER: Barnardo's Support
A snippet from a series of interviews with families who long-term foster or have fostered-to-adopt within our service. Over the coming months, we will be sharing insights into the world of fostering and adoption, sharing conversati...
LGBT+ Fostering
A snippet from a series of interviews with families who long-term foster or have fostered-to-adopt within our service. Over the coming months, we will be sharing insights into the world of fostering and adoption, sharing conversati...
