May is set to be an exciting month! With Foster Care Fortnight (12th – 25th May) coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Week from May 12th-18th throughout the month we will celebrate the power of relationships.
What is Foster Care Fortnight?
Foster Care Fortnight is organised by The Fostering Network and is the UK’s largest awareness-raising campaign for fostering. Running from May 12th to 25th in 2025, this campaign highlights the incredible impact of foster care and aims to inspire more people to consider becoming foster carers.
Established in 1997, Foster Care Fortnight honours the dedication and commitment of foster caregivers and emphasises the need for more foster carers to provide loving homes for children in need.
Learn more about The Fostering Network’s campaign below.
The Power of Relationships
Every year, Foster Care Fortnight has a them, this year is no different. This year, the theme is The Power of Relationships and celebrates the meaningful connections that transform lives. At the heart of every fostering journey are the relationships that make all the difference. Whether it’s the bond between a foster carer and a child, the support of social workers, friendships built within fostering communities or the connections with birth families, these relationships shape lives, create stability and open up new possibilities for the future.
Mood Bears and the Power of Relationships
At Fostering South West, we recognise that cultivating positive relationships is essential for mental well-being. Such relationships provide a sense of security, love and a means for emotional expression.
We are proud to partner with Mood Bears, who offer brightly coloured bears representing various emotions, to help children better understand and start conversations around emotions and mental health.
For children entering care, the transition can be emotionally overwhelming as they leave behind familiar people and places, making it challenging to form new relationships. Mood Bears offer a comforting, non-verbal way for children to understand and express their feelings, helping them build trust and form positive relationships with their foster carers.
Mood Bears have supported many of our foster carers in helping children during critical times. Below is a story from a foster carer about how Mood Bears helped them connect with a child in their care.
“We had a toddler placed as an emergency. At first, he was terrified, however when our Mood Bears arrived, we opened the box and he dived right in for a cuddle with the bears. They’ve been brilliant in helping him feel safe and helping him build those first connections with us.”
Anna, Dorset Council Foster Carer
Keeping Children Close to Home – 45,000 step challenge!
Currently, one in five children in care are placed more than 20 miles from home. This distance can lead to feelings of isolation, trauma, and separation from everything familiar. It also risks severing vital relationships that are crucial for their emotional wellbeing.
Recruiting more local council foster carers can help keep children closer to their communities, supporting their mental health and sense of belonging.
To raise awareness of this issue and promote the importance of local foster care, we are collaborating with Pure Gym to encourage everyone to get active and get involved!
Join Fostering South West and our local partners as we take on the challenge of 45,000 steps, equivalent to 20 miles, over the course of Foster Care Fortnight. This can be done however you like!
Share your journey with us on social media using the hashtag #OneInFiveFarFromHome.
Interested in becoming a foster carer?
We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch with our experienced, friendly team for a chat about foster care…