At the end of October we celebrated National Care Leavers week to help raise awareness of the challenges young people face when they leave the care system. Chief executive at The Fostering Network, Sarah Thomas, summarises some of the events that took place to support NCLW, including our annual #TickTheBox campaign.

Twin sisters Olivia and Candice grew up in a fostering household and they loved the fun and diversity it brought to their home. Now adults, they have reflected on the impact fostering had on them and how it’s shaped them into the people they are today.

Corinne Masheder is an occupational therapist who helps people overcome challenges so that they can live independently at home, at work and everywhere else, empowering people to participate in everyday life activities. 

Whilst at university earlier this year, she started to think about how occupational therapy could help children in care who face unfair barriers to participation in activities. One taboo topic came into focus – menstruation. She explains how without the right products and education, periods can be a particularly debilitating part of the month for young people in care.

At The Fostering Network we are committed to becoming a more inclusive and diverse organisation, so we’ve signed up to The Black Care Experience Charter. Chief executive Sarah Thomas explains what this means for The Fostering Network and the next steps we’ll take towards honouring these commitments.