Fostering: The joys and challenges of being a 'bonus parent' - The Conversation, BBC World Service

Millions of children globally are separated from their birth families. For many, foster care is the best option.

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In this episode of The Conversation, foster carers from Moldova and the US speak to Ella Al-Shamahi about the realities of caring for vulnerable children, and why they’re pushing for change in the system.

Alina Druță is the president of Moldova Without Orphans, the Christian Alliance for Orphans Moldova and the national coordinator for child welfare at Open Gate International Moldova. She has been instrumental in introducing trust-based relational intervention to Moldova, an evidence-based approach that helps caregivers create safe and nurturing environments for children who have experienced trauma. Alina has worked with more than 70 young people over the past 12 years and is currently caring for six girls alongside her two biological children.

Whitney Jackson from the US decided to document her family's journey into fostering on YouTube with her channel Be The Village. It has grown into a community of over 100,000 subscribers. Whitney is passionate about changing the way the world sees the foster system as well as the children who are in care.

00:00 What is fostering, and what is it not?
01:38 Common misconceptions
4:15 What happens with siblings?
05:20 How family and friends react
08:52 What training is available?
10:43 How do you build trust and relationships with kids?
12:38 First day as a foster parent
14:13 Saying goodbye to foster kids
15:32 Paperwork and support from the state
18:36 What needs to change with the system?

Produced by Emily Naylor and Hannah Dean.
Thumbnail photos courtesy of Alina Druță and Whitney Jackson
Photo of Ella Al-Shamahi by Clare Jones, BBC Natural History Unit

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