Foster Care Fortnight 2026 is here, and this year’s theme, ‘This is Fostering’, feels particularly important.
At Hope Fostering Services, we know that fostering is never just one thing. It is the everyday moments, the big emotions, the school runs, the laughter, the difficult days, the proud milestones and the feeling of knowing you are making a genuine difference to a young person’s life.
Sometimes, fostering starts with nerves too.
One of our foster parents recently shared, “When I agreed to the placement, I felt really nervous as we initially wanted to foster a much older young person. When she walked through the door, I immediately relaxed and went to bed knowing that fostering this little girl is going to be the best thing I have ever done.”
You do not need to be perfect. Most foster parents start their journey with questions and uncertainties. What matters is being willing to care, support and show up for a young person who needs stability and encouragement.
Why does Foster Care Fortnight matter?
Foster Care Fortnight is led annually by The Fostering Network and aims to celebrate foster carers whilst raising awareness of the urgent need for more fostering families across the UK.
The campaign theme for 2026, ‘This is Fostering’, focuses on sharing the real experiences behind foster care, such as the highs, the challenges, and the life-changing impact fostering can have for children and young people.
The reality is that more foster parents are urgently needed.
According to statistics shared by The Fostering Network, another child comes into care in need of a foster family every 15 minutes across the UK.
The same report also states that around 54,820 children were living with foster families in England as of March 2025, with approximately 42,190 foster families currently providing care.
In the East Midlands alone, around 370 more foster families are needed.
Behind every one of those numbers is a real child or young person.
Fostering in Nottingham and the East Midlands
As a small, friendly fostering agency based in Nottingham, we see first-hand the growing need for local foster parents across Nottingham, Derby and the wider East Midlands.
When children are unable to stay within their local area due to a shortage of foster carers, it can mean moving away from schools, friends, hobbies and important support networks. Staying local really does matter.
That is why recruiting more foster parents in Nottingham and Derby is so important to us.
At Hope Fostering Services, we pride ourselves on offering a supportive and personal approach to foster care. We are a smaller independent fostering agency, which means we genuinely get to know our foster parents and support them throughout their fostering journey.
We know fostering can feel like a huge step. Many people worry they are “not the right type of person” to foster.
But there is no one type of foster parent.
Our foster parents come from a wide range of backgrounds, and we are proud of our diverse and inclusive fostering community.
Could you become a foster parent?
If you have ever wondered whether fostering could be right for you, Foster Care Fortnight is the perfect time to start asking questions.
At Hope Fostering Services, we are always happy to have an informal conversation about fostering, explain the process, and help people understand what support is available.
This could be your next chapter. Contact us today.