Episode Details

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 he believes will shape the sector over the next decade.

At the centre of that vision is kinship care.

Richard discusses the growing national emphasis on keeping children connected to relatives and trusted adults wherever safe and appropriate, rather than automatically relying on traditional foster care placements.

He explains the differences between formal and informal kinship arrangements, the financial and practical challenges relatives can face when unexpectedly taking responsibility for a child, and why providing the right support can make such an important difference.

But Richard's vision goes further than supporting families after a crisis.

He believes one of the most significant opportunities for the future of child welfare lies in identifying struggling families earlier and providing meaningful assistance before circumstances escalate to the point where children may need to be removed from their homes.

The conversation also explores how foster care agencies can improve their own practices through research, professional development and evidence-based models, alongside the important role communities can play in advocating for children and families.

In this episode, we explore:

• Where foster care and adoption may be heading over the next five to ten years.
• Why kinship care is becoming an increasingly important part of child welfare.
• The differences between formal and informal kinship arrangements.
• Why financial and practical support matters for relatives caring for children.
• How early intervention could help prevent family crises from escalating.
• The importance of evidence-based practice and measuring outcomes.
• Richard's vision for the future of Extra Special Parents and therapeutic foster care.
• Why manageable professional caseloads matter for children and families.
• How communities can use their voices to advocate for better child welfare policies.

Richard also shares his ambition to move Extra Special Parents from being a good organisation to a truly great one, developing and demonstrating approaches that other agencies could learn from.

And as this first season draws to a close, the conversation returns to a belief that has shaped Richard's career: children and families deserve to be at the heart of every decision.

Whether you're a child welfare professional, foster or adoptive parent, kinship caregiver or someone interested in the future of family support, this episode offers a thoughtful look at what could come next and the changes worth working towards.

Thank you for joining us throughout Season 1 of The Kingswell Conversations. We hope these conversations have helped you better understand the people, purpose and realities behind foster care and adoption. There's much more to explore, and the conversation is only just beginning.

Explore Richard's free guide

Considering foster care or adoption in Virginia? Download Richard's free 45-page Comprehensive Guide to Foster Care and Adoption:

https://www.fosterva.org/freeguide

Connect with Richard Kingswell on LinkedIn and follow The Kingswell Conversations on your favourite podcast platform for more conversa