TW: This episode covers matters related to drug abuse and eating conditions. So please be kind to yourself if that feels too close to home. Today’s episode is for anyone who may be considering the option of fostering, has already taken the leap and needs some advice or simply wants to learn more about the processes and experiences of fostering a child. Our guests are mother and step-daughter duo Caroline ‘Caz’ Bullivant & Britney Coole. Caz welcomed Britney into her home when she was 12, and despite a rocky start, these two are now thick as thieves, so much so that Britney, now a mum herself, says Caz was the person who truly showed her how to be a mum. Caz, talks us through the reality of being a foster mum and shares some really inspiring nuggets of wisdom around the ‘best’ way to create a connection with your foster children. On the other side of the coin, Britney shares her experiences growing up and explains the emotional journey of foster care. This conversation is an example of both the heartening and challenging aspects of fostering. If you would like more information on the requirements and processes of fostering, check out the links below. To become part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram. Information on Fostering: At the end of 2022, there were more than 80,000 children in care in the UK. It's expected that this number will rise to more than 100,000 over the next three years, which means more foster parents are desperately needed to provide children with love, nurture and support. Anyone can be a foster parent - you just need to have love to give, and a spare bedroom at home. Foster parents are provided with a fostering allowance to enable them to financially support the young people in their care, plus ongoing training and support, enabling them to provide the best care possible. Fostering People have been supporting vulnerable children since 2000, in Scotland, the north east, north west, West Midlands, east of England and Yorkshire. You can find out more about becoming a foster parent with Fostering People here: https://www.fosteringpeople.co.uk/ You can read more about Caz and Brit's story here: https://www.fosteringpeople.co.uk/resources/fostering-stories/foster-parent-stories/cazs-fostering-story/ For more information on fostering and its importance, the UK's leading foster care charity The Fostering Network has lots of information: https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/ The government provides information on fostering too: https://www.gov.uk/becoming-foster-parent

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