Our Blog
Foster Care Fortnight 2026: This is Fostering
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.
Stars of Children and Young People Awards 2026
The ‘Stars of Children and Young People Awards’ is ‘a glittering annual event for the stars in the care of children and young people’. We are thrilled that two of our amazing foster parents have been shortlisted as finalists. The Awards Ceremony is held in Manchester, mid-May.
We believe that Kate and Linda deserve this this award in recognition of their exceptional and deeply compassionate contributions to fostering. They are highly experienced, profoundly committed, and firmly child-centred carers who, over many years, have transformed the lives of more than 100 children and young people.
Could this be the right time to become a foster carer in Nottingham?
If fostering has ever crossed your mind, even briefly, it’s worth exploring. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering whether you could do something more meaningful with your time, your skills, or even that spare room, then fostering might be closer to home than you think.
Across the UK, thousands of children need safe, stable homes. And right here in Nottingham and Derby, some young people need someone local. You could be their someone who understands their community, their schools, their world.
The train now departing – a short story about fostering
Andrew Stephen is an author. He is a retired teacher and spent many years as a panel member working for Hope Fostering Services. He now resides in Norfolk, where he enjoys writing, walking, and a slower pace of life. Andrew was kind enough to send us a short story to share on our website. This story is based on his own father, born in 1938.
LGBTQ+ Adoption & Fostering Week, 2026: ‘Now’s the time’ to consider fostering in Nottingham
This week is LGBTQ+ Adoption & Fostering Week, and at Hope Fostering Services, we’re proud to stand alongside New Family Social to support this important national campaign. As a trusted fostering agency in Nottingham, we are committed to encouraging more people to explore fostering and provide safe, loving homes for children in care.
Our agency is growing…
We are currently recruiting diverse and amazing foster carers from across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. This is wonderful news, and we are keen to recruit some more Form F Assessors to support us.
Do you have a Social Worker qualification and experience of working in children’s social care? We would love to work with you on a self-employed basis.
Pink Pearl Parenting Academy
At Hope, we’re always looking for ways to further support our foster carers with the best tools and resources. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve signed up for the Pink Pearl Parenting Academy, which is ‘an award-winning platform designed specifically for foster parents.’
Black History Month – Nottingham Giveaway
“I remember when H smiled the first time I cooked jollof rice” shares K, one of our amazing foster parents, during a recent support group. “I don’t think it was just about the food, it felt familiar to him. He felt valued and seen”.
It is hearing comments like this that reinforce the message that representation is so important within the UK care system. It hugely boosts the self-worth of young people if they live with a foster family where their culture is recognised and celebrated. Black History Month is a great time to highlight this because we are so passionate about recruiting more diverse foster parents within Nottingham and the East Midlands.
Black History Month 2025
There’s a growing need for diverse foster carers in Nottingham. This Black History Month, learn how fostering can help children feel seen, valued, and connected to their culture.