National Adoption Week: Why Fostering Matters on the Journey to Permanence
Updated: Oct 28
For many children, the word home is something they rarely have to think about. It's where they feel safe. Where someone asks how their day was. Where they know they belong. For some children, however, finding that sense of belonging takes much longer.
This National Adoption Week, we're reflecting not only on the importance of adoption, but also on the vital role fostering and residential care play in helping children build confidence, stability and trust as they move towards a permanent future.
Because before many children find their forever family, they need somewhere safe to heal, grow and begin believing in themselves again.
And for us at Timeout, that means celebrating young people like Oscar.
Oscar's Story *child's name changed for safeguarding purposes
When Oscar first arrived at Timeout, he had already experienced significant trauma and neglect during his early years.
Like many children entering residential care, his past experiences had shaped how he viewed the world around him. Trust didn't come easily. Confidence was low. Everyday experiences that many children take for granted often felt unfamiliar and overwhelming.
As a Timeout Manager Katie Fallas reflects, Oscar's journey was filled with both challenges and achievements.
One memory that stands out was helping Oscar learn basic self-care routines. When he first arrived, he had never used a toothbrush and had never been to the dentist. Something many of us see as routine felt completely unfamiliar to him.
With patience, encouragement, love and care, Oscar slowly began building confidence. A simple reward star chart helped him celebrate his progress and gave him a sense of achievement with every milestone reached.
That star became a theme throughout his journey.
To the team at Timeout, Oscar became known as "our little star."
Through the dedication of his carers, support from our in-house clinical team and guidance from specialist professionals, Oscar began to flourish. Working closely with the Speech and Language Therapy team, his communication improved significantly. As his communication developed, so did his relationships, confidence and willingness to engage with the world around him.
One particularly special moment came when Oscar developed a fascination with Bright Shining Star by Fatima Whitbread.
Knowing how much the book meant to him, arrangements were made for Oscar to meet Fatima via video call.
For Oscar, it was an unforgettable experience. It showed him that opportunities were possible. That people believed in him. That his future could be bigger than his past.
As Oscar grew older, he began asking difficult questions about his early experiences.
Questions many children in care ask themselves.
"Why didn't my mum do these things with me?"
But Oscar refused to let those questions define him. Instead, he embraced the opportunities around him. He grabbed every opportunity that came his way. He learned. He grew. He thrived. Most importantly, he began to believe in himself.
Reflecting on his time at Timeout, Oscar said it had "changed my life for the better."
Katie recalls that Oscar arrived at exactly the right time.
"We were able to guide, nurture and care for him in the way he deserved. He really did have the hearts of all the staff."
Today, Oscar continues to keep in touch with members of the team who supported him on his journey.
Our little star truly became a bright shining star. More Than a Placement.
At Timeout, we often talk about outcomes. But outcomes aren't figures on a report. They are moments like these. A child building confidence. A child feeling safe enough to trust. A child beginning to imagine a future that once felt impossible.
Residential care is often viewed as a destination. For Oscar, it was part of the journey.
It provided the stability, support and nurturing environment he needed to grow before moving on to the next stage of his life. That next stage was a successful foster placement with a loving family who could continue the journey he had already begun.
Why Fostering Matters
Oscar's story is unique. Every child's story is.
But the need for stability, belonging and positive relationships is something many children in care share.
As of March 2025, there were 81,770 children looked after by local authorities in England, each with their own journey, challenges and hopes for the future.
More than 4,000 children were adopted from care during the year, highlighting the importance of creating permanent, loving homes for children who cannot safely return to their birth families.
Adoption remains one of the most important routes to permanence, but it is rarely the beginning of a child's story. Many children will spend time in foster care or residential care before moving on to their permanent family.
Fostering plays a vital role because it provides children with safe, stable and nurturing care while longer-term plans are explored. It allows children to build trust, develop confidence, form positive relationships and experience the consistency they need to thrive.
For many children, fostering becomes an essential stepping stone on the pathway to permanence.
The Timeout Difference
Through therapeutic support, relationship-based care, specialist education and strong partnerships with local authorities and professionals, we help children overcome barriers, recognise their strengths and prepare for whatever comes next.
For some children, that may be reunification with family.
For others, fostering.
For others, adoption or greater independence.
Every child's pathway is different. What matters is ensuring they have the support, stability and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.
Every Child Deserves a Place to Belong
This National Adoption Week, we're reminded that every child deserves more than care.
They deserve stability. They deserve opportunity. They deserve lasting relationships.
Most importantly, they deserve a place where they belong.
We are incredibly proud of Oscar and everything he achieved during his time with us, and grateful to have played a small part in helping him write the next chapter of his story.
Because every child's story is different.
But every child deserves the opportunity to build a brighter future. 💚
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