What happens at a fostering panel and how do you become an approved foster carer?

In this episode of the Let's Talk About Fostering podcast, we speak to Jan Widowen, who is retiring after 20 years as a fostering panel administrator at Fostering People. Jan shares insights into how the fostering panel works, what applicants can expect, and why the assessment process is so important when approving foster carers.

If you're thinking about becoming a foster carer, this episode explains what happens behind the scenes and why the panel process is such an important step in the fostering journey.

What does it really mean to be a man in fostering?

In this episode of Let’s Talk About Fostering, host Faye chats to foster dad Phil, who fosters with his wife Leanne and their three daughters for Clifford House.

Phil opens up about challenging gender stereotypes, being a hands-on dad, why vulnerability matters, and the huge impact a positive male role model can have on children in care – especially those who may never have had one before.

He also shares honest reflections on welcoming their first foster child, balancing the needs of birth and foster children, and why men (including single men) have so much to offer in fostering.

Faye and FCA foster parent Claudia break down different types of fostering – from long-term and “staying put” to parent and child and siblings – and how to find the right fit for your family.

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to fostering.

In this episode of Let’s Talk About Fostering from the Polaris Community, host Faye sits down with foster parent Claudia from Foster Care Associates (FCA) in Oxfordshire. Claudia lives with her husband, their birth daughter and four foster children – and has years of experience with different types of fostering.

Together, they explore:

- What long-term, short-term and respite fostering actually mean

- How “staying put” works when a young person turns 18 – and why it can be life-changing

- What parent and child fostering is, and how it helps keep families together

- Why some siblings are fostered together – and why sometimes they shouldn’t be

- Fostering children from different racial and cultural backgrounds

- The importance of identity, culture and belonging for children in care

- Claudia’s most powerful fostering moments – from a driving test pass to a “non-verbal” child finding his voice

Claudia also shares:

- How her own cultural background shaped the way she supports parents and children

- Why staying put can give care-experienced young people a fairer start in adult life

- What makes parent and child fostering so rewarding – and how it can change whole family trees for generations

- If you’re wondering which type of fostering might be right for you and your family, this episode is a great place to start.

In this episode of Let’s Talk About Fostering, Faye chats to married couple Andy and Mike, who foster with therapeutic fostering agency ISP in the Midlands.

They share their journey from first conversations about starting a family to becoming full-time foster parents to two amazing 13-year-olds.

In this episode, we cover:

- Why Andy and Mike chose fostering to grow their family

- What children in care may have been through – and why that matters

- What therapeutic fostering is (and how it differs from “traditional” parenting)

- The reality of the assessment and life-story process

- How being a same-sex couple was received in the fostering community

- Working alongside fostering, then moving into full-time fostering

- Supporting children with additional needs and autism

- Building a sibling-like bond between two unrelated children

- Involving birth families and keeping relationships positive

- Why you don’t need previous parenting experience to foster

- The truth about money, fostering allowances and mortgages

- Quickfire FAQs: working, renting, being single, having your own children, being LGBTQ+

- Favourite fostering moments that remind them “this is why we do it”

In this episode, we explore how foster parents strengthen communities, support children, and work closely with local services to create lasting change.

We sit down with Theresa, a foster parent from Fosterplus in Gloucestershire and Jim, who is responsible for a number of our individual fostering agencies here at Polaris. We will explore how foster parents help shape stronger, safer, and more supportive communities across the UK.

From building trust with birth families to navigating complex care needs, this conversation highlights the real experiences and incredible impact foster parents make every day.

What we cover:

- How foster carers support wider communities

- Why collaboration with professionals is essential

- The challenges and rewards of long-term care

- Practical advice for future foster parents

Thinking about becoming a foster parent but not sure where to start?

In this episode of Let’s Talk About Fostering, host Faye chats with Alison, a single foster parent with Foster Care Associates, about what it’s really like at the very beginning of your fostering journey.

Alison has been fostering teenagers since 2017. She talks honestly about leaving her job after 32 years, going through the assessment and panel process, the training, and what it felt like to welcome a young person into her home for the very first time.

In this episode, we cover:

- What to think about if you’re right at the start of your fostering journey

- Why you don’t have to fit a “perfect” mould to foster

- The reality of the assessment and panel process

- What training looks like – and why you don’t need experience to begin

- How it feels to say yes to your first foster child

- The importance of support networks and community for foster carers

- Why teenagers in care need understanding, empathy and playfulness

Welcome to the very first episode of Let’s Talk About Fostering — the podcast from the Polaris Community, hosted by Faye.

In this episode, Faye is joined by Polaris CEO Jo August, who has 35+ years’ experience working across children’s services — and who also grew up in a fostering household. Jo shares her journey into social care, explains what Polaris does across fostering, residential care, schools and adoption, and challenges common misconceptions about foster care and children in care.

We also talk about:

- Why Jo prefers the term “foster parent” over “foster carer”

- The real impact of foster care (beyond the simplified definitions)

- Why outcomes in foster care aren’t always “headline” moments — and why small wins matter

- How to support children who foster (birth children in fostering households)

- The qualities that help foster parents thrive: emotional intelligence and resilience