The Adoption and Fostering Podcast

Hello and welcome to conversations from the AandF podcast. 

In this episode I speak to Matthew Page, a care experienced adult, former foster carer and trustee of the Fostering Network. Matthew is also a specialist in intersectionality and identity thought leader, an adoption celebrant and many other things. 

We chat about his experience growing up as a black child in a white foster family, his search for his dad and appea...

Hello and welcome to conversations from the AandF podcast. 

In this episode I to Niketa Sanderson Gillard, social worker, Churchill Fellow and Founder and CEO of Why Care. We chat about Niketa’s Churchill fellowship, her work that led up to it and how her organisation Why Care has  influenced the DfE’s draft standards that are currently being consulted on. Niketa and discuss the standards, the consultation and...

In this episode of the conversations from the A&F Podcast I speak to adoptive parent Kaitlin. She shares her family's experience of adopting two boys and the challenges that they faced as a family. This was a rocky road and Kaitlin is honest in terms of the difficulties including false allegations, arrests and the catastrophic impact this had on the whole family.  

As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fosterin...

Hello and Welcome to the A&F podcast. 

This week we've asked Mark Owers to come onto the podcast to talk all things fostering in light of the DfE's released consultation and changes to the national fostering standards. 

We cover a broad range of topics relating to fostering including reframing practice around carer's voices and experience, stewardship, recruitment and more. 

You can complete the consultation here...

In this episode we explore what it means to change. Is change a natural part of growing up, or is it sometimes a response to the need to survive? We discuss identity, resilience, and whether having a secure base makes change feel more like a choice.

As always you can connect with us through the following -

Website- www.bettermebetterus.co.uk

Instagram- BMBUltd

Facebook – Better Me Better Us

Email – info@b...

In this episode I speak to Michael Gaither, he was adopted in the US in the 1970s  and moved to rural Nebraska. As a black boy raised by white adoptive parents in a majority white community Michael shares the impact of the profound differences he experienced and the lack of understanding he faced. 

You can follow Michael here and there are free resources for those that are interested. 

Michael's instagram is also her...

Hello and welcome to conversations from the AandF podcast. 

In this episode Scott and I reflect on the terrible news of the murder of Preston Davey. It broadens out the conversation in to the assessment process and power dynamics. We don't dwell on any of the details but reflect on some of the broader issues.

On the day we recorded the PM delivered the long awaited historic forced adoption apology and we unpack what he said, w...

Hello and welcome to the A&F podcast

In this episode I speak to Nancy Mielle, we first chatted in 2023 when she shared her remarkable lived experience. Here we chat about the interplay of early adversity, trauma and neurodiversity. Nancy shares her own experience and we chat about the challenges of caring for complex children.  Nancy also shares a poem, its written for those with power of decisions.

You can listen to Nancy...

Hello and welcome to this episode of conversations from the Fostering and Adoption podcast

In this episode I talk to Dr Claire Agius, she is an academic and adoptive parent who has researched the challenges faced by adoptive parents. We chat about her experience as an adoptive parent and how that led to her academic research. Claire’s hope is to affect change within the system and improvements in the service that families mad...

Hello and welcome to this conference report -  Reframing Professional Practice on Child to Parent Abuse. It was held on the 15th May in Central London and I was asked to share my perspective on dads' experiences as well as generally. It was a great day with some perspectives that were new to me and gave me food for thought on how other communities experience children's challenging behaviour. 

I was fortunate to catch up w...

To be honest there was so much news that we missed over the last month or so we thought we should catch up. We unpack the significance of the Supreme Court judgement in the matter of matter of X and Y [2026] UKSC 13 (click here to see the Coram analysis). What does this mean for the future of adoption and while the Law remains constant are we all in a very different place. 

We also bandy around the issues of DfE communication ...

Hello and welcome to the AandF podcast. 

In this episode we’ve a recording of a Walking with Families  peer support group sessions with adoptive parent and NVR practitioner Rachel Braverman. Rachel has broad experience of working with and supporting families using NVR  and in this mini session titled ‘unhelpful help’ she unpicks the challenges many parents face working with professionals and familie...

Hello and welcome to this episode, it's action packed and we reunite after Scott's many travels! We start with a consideration about the recent FASD Ireland conference and the radio documentary that Scott commissioned in Ireland. It's well worth a listen and you can do that here. 

Al has been talking to practitioners working with families living with challenging and violent behaviour over the last few weeks and we unpack why t...

In this episode I speak to former foster carer Corey Mckinney from the United States,  he shares his experience of being a foster dad and the challenges he faced with his family and the rewards of being a foster carer. 

You find his book ‘Foster Dad’ here and view his website here.

As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional ...

This episode explores the contradiction of being more digitally connected than ever whilst feeling increasingly disconnected as humans. From social media and boundaries to unsafe relationships, and the impact on young people’s social skills, we reflect on what real human connection looks like in today&r...

In this episode I spoke to Sarah Fry and Claire Murphy from the Belay Foundation. They are launching a new support service to support adoptive families access DLA and PIP and we chat about how they can help and the challenges that many families face in navigating the process. 

If you want to find out more about the work of the Belay Foundation you can visit their website here

Or find out more about Walking with Families here

A...

Hello and welcome to conversations from the AandF podcast. 

In this episode I speak Christian Brock from Virtual Memory Box and he shares the vision and hopes behind the digital system for storing and sharing memories of children who have been in the care systems. They’ve now broadened their work to support families impacted adoption and help maintain links safely. 

You can find out more here.

As always if you&rsquo...

To mark a year since I completed and released my Fellowship Report I'm re releasing the podcast. Since then I've partnered with Beacon Family Services and we've put into place some of the recommendations in the Walking with Families peer support community. You can find out more or sign up here. 

Hello and welcome to this second episode of Al's Churchill Fellowship. You...