As reported in The Guardian on 14 October 2026, Marie-France van Heel spoke openly about having considered fostering but feeling overwhelmed by the process and the expectations she believed it would place on her. She explained that she had felt she needed to “transform myself into a different type of person to be able to give foster care”.

Her experience highlights the importance of challenging misconceptions, removing unnecessary barriers and ensuring people understand that there is no single type of person or family who can foster.

While encouraging more people to consider fostering is vital, recruitment must go hand in hand with meaningful support for those already caring for children. Foster carers and kinship carers need to feel valued, listened to and properly supported, with the practical, emotional and financial support necessary to sustain them in their roles.

We welcome the energy and commitment being demonstrated under the leadership of Minister Josh MacAlister and look forward to continuing to champion the voices of foster carers, kinship carers and those working across the sector.

FosterTalk will continue to represent the views, experiences and concerns of our members directly to Government bodies and decision-makers, ensuring their voices are heard and their expertise helps shape policy, influence reform and drive meaningful improvements across the sector.

By working together, we can strengthen support for fostering families, remove unnecessary barriers and create the conditions that enable children and young people to grow, recover, thrive and build bright futures.

Source: The Guardian – “Fostering in crisis: can flexible care models fix England’s child placement shortfa…, 14 October 2026.