The Kingswell Conversations

What does it really take to lead a foster care agency, and what makes all the challenges worthwhile?

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell takes us behind the scenes of running Extra Special Parents and FosterVA in Virginia, sharing an honest look at the people, responsibilities and decisions involved in supporting vulnerable children and families.

From building a strong team and supporting social workers to helping prospective foster parents navigate the approval process, Richard explains why the success of any foster care organisation depends on the people behind it. He also talks about the importance of balancing ambition with staff wellbeing, particularly in a profession where the emotional demands can be considerable.

But perhaps the most personal moment comes when Richard reflects on his own journey. Growing up with dyslexia and spending his school years in special education, he never imagined becoming a CEO. He shares how those experiences shaped his confidence, determination and approach to leadership.

And when asked what makes everything worthwhile, his answer is simple: seeing children find stability and a permanent home, whether that means returning safely to their birth families or finding a new family through adoption.

In this episode, we explore:

• The challenges of leading a foster care agency.
• Why staff support and strong clinical leadership matter.
• What happens behind the scenes when someone decides to become a foster parent.
• The importance of reunification, adoption and permanency.
• Richard's personal experience of dyslexia and becoming a CEO.
• Why the greatest rewards in child welfare often take years to see.

A thoughtful conversation about leadership, resilience and remembering what foster care is really about: children and families.

Continue the Conversation

📘 FREE DOWNLOAD | The Comprehensive Guide to Foster Care and Adoption

Looking to deepen your understanding of foster care and adoption? Richard Kingswell's free 45-page comprehensive guide is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the children, families and systems at the heart of child welfare.

Download your free copy here: https://www.fosterva.org/

Connect with Richard Kingswell

With more than 30 years of experience in child welfare, Richard is passionate about sharing knowledge, challenging assumptions and encouraging better conversations about how we support children and families.

Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardkingswell/

🎧 Enjoying The Kingswell Conversations? Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and share an episode with someone who cares about improving outcomes for children and families.

How does a Scout leader in the UK end up building foster care services in Virginia? For Richard Kingswell, it certainly wasn't a straightforward career path.

In the very first episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard shares the experiences that shaped his more than 30 years working with vulnerable children and families, from leaving a career in insurance to working in youth justice in England, a runaway shelter in Baltimore and a maximum-security juvenile correctional facility in the United States.

Along the way, he reflects on the people, challenges and lessons that influenced his approach to child welfare, including the development of innovative community-based programmes and the eventual creation of Extra Special Parents and FosterVA.

It's an opportunity to get to know the person behind The Kingswell Conversations, understand what drives his commitment to children and families, and explore why he believes that supporting vulnerable young people requires more than good intentions.

In this episode: Richard's journey into child welfare, working with young people with complex needs, the development of therapeutic foster care services, and the importance of continuing to rethink how we support children and families.

Find out more at www.espva.org and www.fosterva.org.

Continue the Conversation

📘 FREE DOWNLOAD | The Comprehensive Guide to Foster Care and Adoption

Looking to deepen your understanding of foster care and adoption? Richard Kingswell's free 45-page comprehensive guide is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the children, families and systems at the heart of child welfare.

Download your free copy here: https://www.fosterva.org/

Connect with Richard Kingswell

With more than 30 years of experience in child welfare, Richard is passionate about sharing knowledge, challenging assumptions and encouraging better conversations about how we support children and families.

Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardkingswell/

🎧 Enjoying The Kingswell Conversations? Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and share an episode with someone who cares about improving outcomes for children and families.

Welcome to The Kingswell Conversations, a podcast exploring the people, experiences and conversations shaping kinship care, foster care and adoption.

Hosted by Richard Kingswell, CEO of Extra Special Parents and FosterVA, this podcast draws on more than 30 years of experience in child welfare to explore the challenges, realities and opportunities facing children, families and the professionals who support them.

Through honest conversations, practical insights and real-world experience, Richard looks beyond policies and processes to the people at the heart of child welfare.

Whether you're a foster or adoptive parent, a kinship caregiver, a child welfare professional, or simply someone who wants to understand how we can better support children and families, there's a place for you here.

What can you expect?

• Thoughtful conversations about foster care, adoption and kinship care.
• Practical insights for families and child welfare professionals.
• Honest discussions about trauma, resilience, relationships and support.
• Perspectives shaped by decades of working with children, families and agencies.
• A shared commitment to learning, improving and asking how we can do better.

Explore the first two seasons

Discover 24 conversations covering everything from the realities of becoming a foster parent to the importance of kinship connections, therapeutic support, family stability and better outcomes for children.

With new conversations planned for Season 3, there's much more to come.

Follow The Kingswell Conversations on your favourite podcast platform and join Richard as he continues asking the questions that matter.

Learn more and connect

FosterVA: https://www.fosterva.org

Extra Special Parents: https://www.espva.org

Download Richard's free 45-page Comprehensive Guide to Foster Care and Adoption: https://www.fosterva.org/freeguide

Continue the Conversation

📘 FREE DOWNLOAD | The Comprehensive Guide to Foster Care and Adoption

Looking to deepen your understanding of foster care and adoption? Richard Kingswell's free 45-page comprehensive guide is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the children, families and systems at the heart of child welfare.

Download your free copy here: https://www.fosterva.org/

Connect with Richard Kingswell

With more than 30 years of experience in child welfare, Richard is passionate about sharing knowledge, challenging assumptions and encouraging better conversations about how we support children and families.

Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardkingswell/

🎧 Enjoying The Kingswell Conversations? Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and share an episode with someone who cares about improving outcomes for children and families.