Episode 11 - Keep Connected

We catch up with a foster carer to hear her experiences of securing a mortgage and staff from The Mortgage Brain give us an insight into how they guide foster carers through the mortgage application process.

We catch up with some windswept walkers and a pair of phenomenal 50k fundraisers who tell us why they have been raising money for The Fostering Network. We also outline some simple (non-energetic) ways you can get involved and support fostering. To support Louise and Louis with their ultra marathon please go to justgiving.com/fundraising/louis-hylands7.

We kick off Sons and Daughters Month 2019 by talking to Lydia and Roma Bright about their experiences growing up in a fostering household as well as outlining our campaign and how you can get involved in our competition. More at: thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/podcasts and thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/sanddm

We discuss our Keep Connected campaign and hear from a foster carer about her attempt to keep in contact with her former fostered child as well as talking to two social workers, who were themselves in foster care, about the extent to which care experienced children are encouraged to maintain their important relationships when they move on.

We take a look at the impact of our Walking Tall project in Scotland and hear from some of the young people who took part. For more information visit thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/walkingtall

We discuss our State of the Nation's Foster Care report and some of the key findings and recommendations. Read the full report at thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/sotn

We discuss The Fostering Network's latest report - Staying Put: An Unfulfilled Promise - which looks at Staying Put legislation four years on from its introduction in England to see how well it is enabling care experienced young people to remain living with their former foster family.

We discuss our 2018 State of the Nation's Foster Care survey which canvasses foster carers' opinions of the current fostering landscape. thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/sotn

We hear about what it is like to receive an award from a previous winner and the person who nominated them. Music: "Heartwarming" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We find out a little more about the nominations process for The Fostering Network's annual Fostering Excellence Awards and hear about what it is like to receive an award from a previous winner and the person who nominated them. Music: "Heartwarming" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/