This guide looks at how childcare professionals can make a difference to young people's experiences of foster care. Professionals play an important role by supporting caring relationships, ensuring that school is a positive experience, and promoting the self-esteem of children and young people in the foster care system.

This guide unpacks the concept of resilience and provides helpful hints for practice as well as access to further resources. It is aimed at the qualifying and newly qualified childcare professional and outlines why they matter in the life of a foster child.

Positive relationships, at any age in the life span, can help improve poor self-image. People who take an interest, who listen, who care and love people, make others feel better. They bolster self-esteem.