Leah's story - written by a foster carer

Belonging is not something you can rush. For care-experienced children, it is often something that has been disrupted again and again. At Care to Dance, our work is rooted in creating spaces where young people feel safe enough to stay, to try, to step back, and to return, without fear of being excluded or left behind. This reflection from a foster carer, whose child has been part of our community, offers insight into what long-term, trauma-informed dance can make possible.

"Our foster child has been attending weekly sessions with the charity Care to Dance for nearly 3 years. Before joining, she was not able to take part safely or happily in mainstream or even SEN activity groups. This wasn’t due to a lack of interest or motivation, but because her complex combination of disabilities and trauma & attachment-related difficulties meant that even groups offering 1:1 support struggled to meet her needs.

Our experience with Care to Dance has been completely different. The high adult-to-child ratio and genuinely trauma-informed approach mean that every young person is supported as an individual and sessions are adapted to be accessible. Our child feels understood and accepted, and I have always been welcomed into the space to provide additional support. This sense of inclusion has made a huge difference to both of us.

Being part of the group over a long period of time has given me a good insight into the gradual but deeply transformative impact Care to Dance has had on our foster daughter and on the other young people too. For a long time she only communicated through me but she is now able to speak independently to the teachers, talk about dance, express her boundaries, and ask for support in ways that work for her. She takes part in group routines even when they feel challenging, because she feels safe enough to step outside her comfort zone. She has also been encouraged to explore and develop her own style of movement, which has had a powerful impact on her confidence and self-esteem. She now loves to perform and takes great pride in this part of the sessions, as do many of the other young people.

Despite difficult periods in her wider life, Care to Dance has been the one place she has consistently wanted to attend. She looks forward to it every week. The group has supported us through some very hard times. There is something incredibly powerful about being in a space where all the young people have care-related experiences, without needing to explain or share details. Difficult moments in class are handled with sensitivity and understanding, allowing everyone to move forward and keep coming back. In any other setting, she would almost certainly have disengaged or been excluded long ago.

The team of dance practitioners and the social worker are exceptional in the way they hold the many different and often complex needs within the group. Some children need significant 1:1 support to regulate and stay engaged, yet this is always offered with patience, kindness and without frustration. The professionalism of the teaching, combined with the opportunity to train and perform in a real dance studio, is uplifting for the young people and does wonders for their self-worth.

For a child who has huge struggles with traditional academic learning, Care to Dance has been the only consistent and structured environment where she has been able to develop her strengths and pursue something she genuinely loves. Dance and performance have become a vital way for her to express herself and build skills that will be central to her future wellbeing and independence. I cannot overstate how important that is.

Over time, I have watched her and the other children develop socially through the predictable routines of the sessions. I have seen them relax, settle, and find focus in ways that seem almost impossible elsewhere. Children who struggle to be still can become deeply absorbed in movement. Each week they arrive carrying whatever is happening for them internally and externally, and gradually become immersed in the class. By the end, they create and perform incredibly moving pieces of self-choreographed work, often working with each other to explore themes such as identity, family, loss, self-belief and celebrating who they are. It is very powerful to witness.

At their celebration events, I am always blown away by how far the group has come, both in their dancing and in how they collaborate, communicate and create together. The young people openly encourage and support each other. Our child, who still rarely speaks directly to peers, now joins in. For her, this is an enormous step. The pride they show is not just about the audience’s response, but about how they feel in themselves.

One of the reasons I feel so strongly about the importance of Care to Dance is that meaningful change for children who have experienced trauma takes time. It should not be rushed. They need long-term, consistent relationships and familiar routines that they can grow into and revisit from new developmental stages. Care to Dance provides a space where young people can feel safe, connected, capable and valued, and where they have a sense of control and belonging. Accessible, long-term creative opportunities like this are incredibly rare, yet so vital. Our child now refers to the group as her “friends”, which is something I never imagined hearing her say!"

Reading this, we are reminded that progress does not always look loud or linear. Sometimes it looks like a whispered word becoming a spoken sentence, or a young person choosing to return week after week because they feel safe enough to do so. These moments matter. They are the foundation for confidence, connection, and a sense of self. We are honoured to walk alongside young people and carers on this journey, and to hold spaces where they can grow, at their own pace, for as long as they need.