Compass Fostering

One Compass foster parent recently reflected on the value of therapeutic support offered by one of our practitioners, Lee.

They described it as helping them manage everything from difficult situations to building genuine bonds with children and young people.

They told us:
"I value Lee's directness, it helps me stay focused on the goals we set."

And:
"Lee provides a very non-judgemental space."

The result?
𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬.
When foster parents feel supported, children benefit too.

💙 Foster Parent Friday | Meet Louisa & Dean

One of the questions we're asked most often is, "Can I foster if I have my own children?"
For Louisa and Dean, the answer has been a resounding yes.

Louisa grew up in a fostering family, so she saw first-hand the difference a loving home can make. When she and Dean welcomed their first foster child, their own daughter was just three months old.

Seven years later, fostering has become part of everyday family life.
"Our daughter has grown up with foster siblings and knows no different. She sees them as big brothers, and they all see each other as brothers and sisters." 💙

For Dean, who was a professional footballer before becoming a foster parent, fostering has brought a new sense of purpose.

"There's nothing better than giving a young person a loving, caring home."
Together, they've built a home where children feel safe, supported and truly part of the family.

📖 Read Louisa and Dean's full story and discover how fostering can enrich the whole family: https://ow.ly/5Z5O50Zub17

Every child deserves the chance to grow, thrive and reach their full potential. But before that can happen, they need to feel safe, secure and connected.

Foster parents play a vital role in creating those foundations through patience, consistency and care. It's those everyday moments of support that can make a lasting difference in a child's life.

Could you provide the safe, supportive home a child needs to thrive? We'd love to tell you more about becoming a foster parent. Send us a message or get in touch today 💙

After decades serving their community in the police, John and Lesa thought retirement would be a chance to slow down.

Instead, it became the start of a whole new chapter.

For the past five years, they've been fostering with Compass. Today, their busy family includes their Polish foster daughter, a four-year-old foster son, their adopted twins, who they’ve looked after for over 11 years, and their three adult birth children.

For John and Lesa, family isn't defined by labels. Every child is welcomed, valued and loved.

One of the things they're most proud of is helping their foster daughter stay connected to her Polish heritage and birth family, ensuring she grows up with a strong sense of identity and belonging.

"Everyone needs someone in their corner. We're just doing what we love." 💙

Their story is a powerful reminder that the skills, compassion and life experience you've built over a lifetime can make an incredible difference to a child's future.

Helping Children Thrive During the Holidays 💙

School holidays can be full of fun, but they can also bring big emotions, especially for children who have experienced trauma.

Changes in routine, busy days and uncertainty can leave children feeling overwhelmed. As foster parents, it's not about creating the perfect holiday; it's about creating an environment where children feel safe, connected and understood.

Swipe through for some simple therapeutic approaches to help children feel secure during the holidays, including:
💙 Putting relationships first
💙 Understanding that behaviour is communication
💙 Creating gentle routines
💙 Balancing activity with rest
💙 Supporting transitions
💙 Responding with PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy)

Remember...

Children don't need perfect holidays.

They need adults who are emotionally available, curious, consistent and kind.

Relationships first. Behaviour is communication.

Because when children feel safe, they are free to heal, grow and thrive 💙

Yvette began her career in nursing in the mid-1980s, training first as a general nurse before specialising in children’s nursing. Over the years, she worked tirelessly to build her experience, progressing into senior roles and later supporting children and families in community settings. Her work often meant long days, demanding shift patterns and extensive travel across London, Kent and the Southeast, covering hundreds of miles in a single day to reach those who needed her care.

Despite her dedication, the pace of nursing began to take its toll. It was around this time that a conversation with a fellow nurse, who had already become a foster paent planted it’s seed.
At first, fostering felt like an unlikely next step. Yet something about it resonated deeply with her values and her desire to make a difference beyond hospital walls.

Read more: https://www.compassfostering.com/story/beyond-the-wards-yvettes-path-to-fostering/

💙 Foster Parent Friday | Meet Ted & Tanya

After experiencing the heartbreak of infertility, Ted and Tanya knew they still had so much love to give. When their daughter was born, they realised their family had room to grow—and fostering became the next chapter in their journey.

Three years later, they're raising both their daughter and a young person who has become a permanent part of their family. When she first arrived, she was non-verbal and faced significant challenges. Today, she's thriving, with a bright future ahead thanks to the love, stability and therapeutic support around her.

Ted and Tanya's fostering journey continues to evolve. They are currently caring for a baby who came into their home at just a few days old and will eventually move to live with relatives, after being given the best possible start in life. They have also recently been approved to welcome another young child from a residential home into their family, continuing their commitment to providing the love, stability and support every child deserves.

For Ted and Tanya, fostering has been life-changing.

"Watching a child grow in confidence and believe in themselves is the most rewarding feeling. We feel incredibly blessed."

They also credit the support they've received from Compass.

"You're never on your own. It really feels like being part of a community."

Thank you, Ted and Tanya, for opening your hearts and helping a child thrive. 💙

Could you make a difference too? We'd love to hear from you.

With more than 30 years’ experience supporting children who have experienced trauma, Michelle leads the therapeutic vision at Compass Community. Her role is to make sure children, foster parents, residential teams and education colleagues have access to the specialist support they need to help young people feel safe, heal and thrive.

Michelle is a Tavistock-trained Systemic Psychotherapist, with an MSc in Applied Systemic Theory, an MA in Social Work and a Diploma in Therapeutic Play. At the heart of her work is a deep belief in the power of relationships. Her practice focuses on attachment, developmental trauma, identity, belonging and trust, and on creating the conditions where every child can feel valued, understood and able to flourish.

At Compass, therapeutic support is not an add-on. It sits at the centre of how we care, teach and support children. Michelle has led the embedding of the PACE approach — Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy — across our services, helping teams build secure, trusting relationships with children who have often learned not to trust adults easily.

Whether speaking at conferences, training professionals or supporting our own teams, Michelle is passionate about building therapeutic cultures where children are not simply managed, but genuinely understood.

We are proud to have Michelle leading our therapeutic services and championing the life-changing impact of relationship-based care.

Ian quietly dreamed of becoming a foster parent but he worried he was too old and, as a single man, questioned whether fostering was really an option.

Years later, he's proving that compassion, life experience and a willingness to make a difference are what truly matter.

From helping a young person experience the simple joy of choosing their very own Build-A-Bear outfit to watching their confidence grow every day, Ian knows it's often the smallest moments that have the biggest impact.

"Don't be afraid of giving it a go. Think about the difference you could make to a child's future." 💙
Ian's story is a powerful reminder that foster parents come from all walks of life—and there's no such thing as the "perfect" foster parent.

📖 Read Ian's inspiring story and discover why he wishes he'd started fostering sooner: https://www.compassfostering.com/story/single-male-foster-carer-ians-journey/

Join our experienced foster parents for an insightful Live Q&A session - where they will talk about their fostering journey and answer any questions you may have.

It’s an excellent opportunity to learn more about fostering with Compass, connect with others who are at the start of their fostering journey, and gain a deeper understanding of the process.

What to expect from this event:

⭐ This is a relaxed session where you can simply listen in; there’s no pressure to speak or take part directly.
⭐ You’re welcome to join with your camera on or off. While it’s always lovely for our speakers to see who they’re talking to, we completely understand if you’d rather keep it off.
⭐ The event will last around an hour and there will be a chance for you to ask questions at the end.

RSVP: