The Kingswell Conversations

What does successful foster care really look like? Is it measured by the number of children placed, the families recruited, the partnerships built or something much more personal?

For Richard Kingswell, CEO of Extra Special Parents and FosterVA, the answer begins and ends with the people involved, particularly the children whose lives depend on the decisions being made around them.

In this special Season 2 finale of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard reflects on more than 20 years of leading Extra Special Parents in Virginia and shares what doing foster care well means to him.

After...

What do experienced foster parents wish someone had told them before their very first placement?

You can complete the training, read the guidance, prepare your home and speak to professionals, but there are some things about foster parenting that only become clear when you're actually living the experience.

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell, CEO of Extra Special Parents and FosterVA in Virginia, reflects on the lessons foster parents often learn along the way and the realities that can surprise even the most prepared caregivers.

Drawing on his years of...

What happens when foster parenting starts to feel overwhelming? When you've tried everything you know, you're exhausted, and you're beginning to wonder whether you're doing enough?

For foster parents, those moments can be difficult to admit. After all, you've worked hard to become approved, opened your home to a child and committed yourself to making a difference. The last thing you want is for someone to think you're struggling or that you're not capable of providing the care a child needs.

But as Richard Kingswell explains in this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, asking for...

What does it really take to become a foster parent? And how important is honesty about your expectations, abilities and emotions throughout the journey?

Fostering can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a person's life, but it also brings responsibilities, challenges and emotions that aren't always obvious at the beginning.

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell, CEO of Extra Special Parents and FosterVA in Virginia, explores why honest expectations and open communication are essential to successful foster care placements.

And as Richard explains, that honesty needs to begin...

What happens to a child's sense of stability when their foster placement changes? And can the relationships they build with trusted adults help provide security, even when their circumstances are uncertain?

When we talk about stability in foster care, the conversation often focuses on keeping children in one home and avoiding placement changes. And while placement stability is incredibly important, there's another form of consistency that deserves just as much attention: the people who remain in a child's life throughout their journey.

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell, CEO of Extra Special...

Foster parents spend so much time supporting children through trauma, uncertainty and difficult emotions. But what happens when caring for a child begins to affect their own emotional wellbeing?

Who looks after the foster parent?

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell, CEO of Extra Special Parents and FosterVA in Virginia, explores secondary trauma, emotional fatigue and the importance of making sure foster parents have the support they need throughout their fostering journey.

Caring for a child who has experienced trauma can be deeply rewarding, but it can also bring unexpected...

Thinking about fostering to adopt? You might be prepared to welcome a child into your home, but are you prepared for everything and everyone who comes with them?

The foster-to-adopt journey can be incredibly rewarding, but it also involves responsibilities, relationships and uncertainties that prospective parents may not fully anticipate.

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell, CEO of Extra Special Parents and FosterVA in Virginia, explores the emotional and practical realities of fostering to adopt, from navigating a child's wider support network to managing expectations around waiting times and finding the right...

Would you want to be defined by the worst moment of your life?

For children entering foster care, their history often arrives before they do. Reports, assessments, diagnoses and records of difficult experiences can provide important information, but they can also shape how adults see a child before they've even had the opportunity to meet them.

So how do foster parents understand a child's past without allowing it to define their future?

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell, CEO of Extra Special Parents and FosterVA in Virginia, explores one of...

How do you know when a child in therapeutic foster care is making progress? Is it fewer emotional outbursts, better behaviour or something much more meaningful?

Sometimes progress is as simple as a child joining the family for dinner without anxiety. Sometimes it's putting down a favourite comfort toy, sitting beside a foster parent on the sofa or beginning to trust that the adults around them will be there when they need them.

These moments might seem small to someone looking in from the outside, but for a child who has experienced trauma, they can...

What do you do when a child in your care becomes overwhelmed, angry or withdrawn? How do you respond when a simple request turns into a major emotional reaction? And how can everyday parenting help a child who has experienced trauma begin to feel safe?

Supporting emotional regulation is an important part of therapeutic foster parenting, but it doesn't necessarily mean completely changing the way you parent.

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell, CEO of Extra Special Parents and FosterVA in Virginia, shares practical advice for helping children manage difficult emotions through...

If a child is being cared for by a grandparent, aunt, uncle or trusted family friend, why does the child welfare system still need to be involved? Surely keeping a child within their own family should be enough?

It's a reasonable question, and one that sits at the heart of this episode of The Kingswell Conversations.

Richard Kingswell, CEO of Extra Special Parents and FosterVA in Virginia, continues the conversation around kinship care, exploring why family connections are so important, but also why love and good intentions alone cannot replace the need for appropriate training...

What happens when you're suddenly asked to care for a child in your family? What support is available? And how do you prepare for a responsibility you may never have expected?

For many kinship caregivers, the journey begins with an unexpected phone call. A grandchild, niece, nephew or the child of a close friend needs somewhere safe to stay, and suddenly you're being asked to step into a parenting role, sometimes with very little notice.

In the opening episode of Season 2 of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell, CEO of Extra Special Parents and FosterVA in...

What will foster care look like in five or ten years? Will more children be supported within their own families? And could earlier intervention prevent some children from entering foster care altogether?

In the Season 1 finale of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell looks towards the future of foster care and adoption, sharing his vision for a child welfare system that places greater emphasis on family connections, prevention and evidence-based support.

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in child welfare and his leadership of Extra Special Parents and FosterVA in Virginia, Richard explores the changes...

What are the biggest challenges facing foster care in America today? Is it finding enough foster parents, changing public perceptions or supporting the professionals working tirelessly behind the scenes?

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell steps back from the day-to-day realities of fostering to explore three significant challenges facing the US foster care system, drawing on more than 30 years of experience in child welfare.

From recruiting foster families to retaining experienced social workers, Richard shares his perspective on the issues that continue to shape foster care and what agencies, communities and individuals...

Do you have to be married or own your home to foster? Are foster parents paid to care for children? Does fostering always lead to adoption? And can you become a foster parent while working full-time?

There are plenty of misconceptions surrounding foster care, and some may be preventing people from taking the first step towards becoming foster parents.

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell puts five common foster care myths under the spotlight, separating fact from fiction and explaining what fostering really involves.

Drawing on more than 30 years of...

You've completed your training, received your approval and welcomed a child into your home. But what happens next? Who do you turn to when you have questions, need advice or find yourself facing an unexpected challenge?

Becoming a foster parent is only the beginning of the journey, and the support families receive after placement can make an enormous difference.

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell takes us behind the scenes of Extra Special Parents in Virginia to explain how foster families are supported from the moment a child enters their home and...

Do you have to be married to foster? Can you become a foster parent if you're single, have a disability or have a criminal record? And do you need a big house with a separate bedroom for every child?

These are just some of the questions that stop people from exploring foster parenting, often because they assume they won't meet the requirements.

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell draws on more than 30 years of experience in child welfare to explain what foster care agencies are really looking for in prospective foster parents.<...

What does a typical day look like for a foster parent? Is it very different from raising your own children, and how much additional responsibility comes with fostering?

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell takes us through an ordinary day in the life of a foster family, from morning routines and school runs to after-school activities, family meals and bedtime.

And his message might surprise you. At its heart, foster parenting is simply parenting.

Of course, there are additional responsibilities. Foster parents may attend meetings, support family visits, manage medical...

Finding the right family for a child in foster care takes more than good intentions. It takes trust, communication and strong partnerships between the people responsible for that child's future.

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell explores the relationship between Virginia's Departments of Social Services (DSS) and private foster care agencies, sharing why collaboration is so important to achieving stability and permanency for children.

Drawing on nearly 20 years of leading Extra Special Parents and more than 30 years in child welfare, Richard explains how local DSS teams and therapeutic foster care agencies work...

When a child has experienced trauma, their behaviour often tells a story that words cannot.

A child who hoards food may be frightened that another meal won't come. A child who reacts with anger may actually be scared. And a child who struggles to trust adults may have very good reasons for feeling that way.

So how can foster parents recognise what lies beneath these behaviours and respond in ways that help children feel safe?

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell explores what trauma-informed care really means and why understanding...

Not all foster care looks the same. So what exactly is therapeutic foster care, and how does it differ from traditional foster care?

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell draws on more than 30 years of experience in child welfare to explain therapeutic foster care, sometimes called treatment foster care, and why this additional level of support can make such an important difference for children and families.

Richard takes us behind the scenes of therapeutic foster care, exploring how children with more complex emotional, behavioural or medical needs are supported through specialist training...

What keeps you going when the work you care about becomes overwhelming?

Working in child welfare brings moments of extraordinary reward, but also difficult decisions, emotional challenges and situations where there are no easy answers. For Richard Kingswell, navigating those moments comes down to knowing yourself, trusting your team and remembering why the work matters.

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard shares a more personal side of his journey, exploring the people, experiences and beliefs that have shaped his approach to leadership over more than 30 years in child welfare.

He talks...

What does it really take to lead a foster care agency, and what makes all the challenges worthwhile?

In this episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard Kingswell takes us behind the scenes of running Extra Special Parents and FosterVA in Virginia, sharing an honest look at the people, responsibilities and decisions involved in supporting vulnerable children and families.

From building a strong team and supporting social workers to helping prospective foster parents navigate the approval process, Richard explains why the success of any foster care organisation depends on the people behind it. He also talks...

How does a Scout leader in the UK end up building foster care services in Virginia? For Richard Kingswell, it certainly wasn't a straightforward career path.

In the very first episode of The Kingswell Conversations, Richard shares the experiences that shaped his more than 30 years working with vulnerable children and families, from leaving a career in insurance to working in youth justice in England, a runaway shelter in Baltimore and a maximum-security juvenile correctional facility in the United States.

Along the way, he reflects on the people, challenges and lessons that influenced his approach to...

Welcome to The Kingswell Conversations, a podcast exploring the people, experiences and conversations shaping kinship care, foster care and adoption.

Hosted by Richard Kingswell, CEO of Extra Special Parents and FosterVA, this podcast draws on more than 30 years of experience in child welfare to explore the challenges, realities and opportunities facing children, families and the professionals who support them.

Through honest conversations, practical insights and real-world experience, Richard looks beyond policies and processes to the people at the heart of child welfare.

Whether you're a foster or adoptive parent, a kinship caregiver, a...