True stories

Our fostering feature film

Watch our fostering film to hear from foster carers, fostering staff and children of carers about why fostering is so rewarding.

True stories

Below are some fabulous true stories about fostering. Hear how families in Nottinghamshire are giving something back by making a difference to the lives of children and young people in their care.

Fostering part-time as a family

This amazing family regularly have young people come and stay at their home on weekends or school holidays. Fostering part-time fits in with their family life while still allowing them to help young people. They are fostering support carers, acting almost like an extended family, so the child gets to experience new things while their full-time foster carers are able to have a short break.

Preparing for your foster placement

Preparing for a new foster placement is a unique experience. Foster carer Jodie talks about how she tries to ensure the young people who stay with her are as comfortable as possible.

Jan and Paula

Jan and Paula are sisters who both foster children and have also provided support care part-time. They talk about why part-time fostering to support full-time carers is so important for foster carers and the children they care for.

Growing up in foster care

Leon was eight years old when he was taken in to foster care and has stayed with the same foster family ever since. Now 22, Leon is about to do a PGCE which will help him with his dream of teaching dance all over the world. Hear how Leon's foster parents helped support him, and what advice he would give to people who are thinking about fostering.

Fostering stories: my foster carer and me

Polly was fostered by Lesley from the age of 12. The pair talk about their experiences together and how they’ve stayed close throughout and into Polly’s adulthood.

From fearful to forever

Read the story of Phil, a foster carer from Mansfield.

Sons and Daughters Month

Sons and Daughters Month highlights the amazing birth children of foster carers, who also welcome fostered children and young people into their home. 13-year-old Dan told us what it's like to be part of a fostering family and what advice he would give to people thinking of fostering.

30 years as a foster carer

Cath received an MBE for Services to Children this year after fostering for an amazing 30 years, she talks about her experiences below and what it was like the day she received her honour from Prince William.

Emma and Jonathan

Local couple Emma and Jonathan had been thinking about fostering for some time, and last year enquired about fostering for the Council: "We both agreed that it would be amazing to help children develop and to give them opportunities that they might not have previously had". Read more about the couple’s journey and the unexpected benefits they have found from their experience.

Foster carers Emma and Jonathan

Nottinghamshire child tells of her life with a foster family

"I have been in foster care nearly four years now and before me and my sisters came into foster care we had nothing to look forward to. Children come into foster care for different reasons; my sisters and I came into care because of neglect. My new family are wonderful and our perfect pets are delightful. This poem is dedicated to their tonnes of affection and how much I care for them."