Fostering: Shaping Better Futures for Children in Care

🎬 Film Screening: Belonging

🌟 Fostering and Children in care💬 Live Discussion and Special Guests

Join us for an inspiring online event featuring the award-winning short foster care film Be-Longing, followed by a live Q&A with its director, Mike McKenzie, and a special talk with David Jackson. This session also offers an exclusive discussion about "Snowball"—a powerful new short film adapted by Dave Jackson and MAD4 Films Ltd—portraying David Jackson’s deeply personal experiences growing up in care and his harrowing journey through the 1960s–80s childcare system.

🎬 Film Screening: Be-Longing
Experience Be-Longing, the award-winning short film that powerfully portrays a child’s journey through trauma, trust and identity in foster care. Even if you’ve seen it before, this special screening invites deeper reflection and conversation.

🎯 What You’ll Gain

• Fresh perspectives on the real challenges children in care face, and how we can better support them
• Practical strategies to improve communication, trust and stability in care placements
• Shared learning from others across the fostering and care community
• Direct insight from those with lived experience of being in care

💬 Live Discussion and Special Guests

• Q&A with director Michael McKenzie
• Special guest: David Jackson
• An interactive discussion space to connect with carers, professionals and care-experienced individuals
  
  Join foster carers, care-experienced people, fostering agency staff, social workers, teachers and others involved in the care system for a meaningful online event that brings together insight, practical tools and lived experience - all aimed at improving outcomes for children in care.

• 🔑 Discussion Highlights

• Collaboration matters: building better partnerships across carers, agencies and professionals
• Bridging the gaps: tackling the impact of poor communication in the care system
• Solutions that work: real, actionable ideas you can use in your role
• Diverse voices: hearing a range of lived experiences from across the fostering community

🌟 With Special Guest - David Jackson

📌 Who should attend?

• Foster and adoptive parents
• Kinship carers
• Care-experienced individuals
• Fostering agency staff and managers
• Social workers, teachers and support workers
• Campaigners, policymakers, and anyone passionate about improving outcomes for children in care
• Filmmakers and creatives exploring care-related storytelling

💡 Why Join This Event?

This is more than just an online event, it’s a space for connection, understanding and positive change.

Come away with real insight, new tools and renewed motivation to make a difference in the lives of children in care.

📍 Event details

Date: Wednesday 10th December 2025

Time: 7:00 - 8:30 pm GMT

Location: Online (best viewed on desktop/laptop)

This session will be recorded.

🎟️ Reserve your spot today and be part of the conversation shaping better futures for young people in care.