Joe Swash examines what it is like for people who are living, or have experienced, the foster care system in his new BBC One documentary.
In Joe Swash: Teens in Care, the Essex actor and TV personality delves into an issue close to his heart – the untold stories of Britain’s teens in care.
Joe’s beloved mum Kiffy has been a foster carer for over 15 years, and Joe is very close to his foster brother Daniel. But he realises how different it could have been for his sibling.
Joe Swash: Teens in Care is a 60-minute documentary following Joe as he explores the stories of teens in foster care over the age of 16, who are the largest growing group of people in both child protection and care.
Joe Swash: Teens in Care documentary on BBC One
Former EastEnders actor Joe Swash investigates the foster care system in the UK. The number of children aged 16 and over in care has increased by 37% in the last decade alone, and Joe wants to know more.
His motivation to make this documentary is deeply personal; it’s an issue that is close to his and his family’s heart. His mum Kiffy fostered two children once Joe and his birth sister Shana moved out.
While one was adopted into a family, Daniel remained with the Swash family, and has recently started at uni.
Now Joe wants to highlight the issues affecting children in care, and spends time with teens across the UK who live in foster care and in residential children’s homes.
In addition to spending time with teens, Joe meets experts and policy makers to ask what they are doing to fix a system that he feels appears to be failing the young people it’s supposed to be caring for, establish the root causes and explore where the signs of optimism are.
And through this experience he also sees first-hand the work of foster carers and the army of front-line workers who are dedicated to helping teens in care, as he seeks to find out how some of the issues teens encounter in the care system can be tackled better.
There are currently 80,000 children living in care today.
Is Joe Swash’s mum Kiffy a foster carer?
Talking about his own experiences of growing up with a foster brother, Joe says: “My mum’s been fostering for about 15 years, and one of the kids is Daniel. He’s not a kid anymore, though, he’s like 19 years old.
“We’ve treated Daniel like one of our own, and he’ll always be part of our family. We love him.”
Joe, 41, adds: “Daniel recently started university and is thriving. But I’m aware that not all teenagers in care have the same experience.”
Remembering the tragic death of his father, Joe continues: “Mum bought my sister and I up single-handedly after my dad died when I was only 11.
“When Shana and I left home, mum became a foster carer, providing a home for two children who could no longer live with their birth parents. One went on to be adopted. And the other Daniel, mum has just helped him get to university.”
‘As a foster parent, you have to let these kids know you are on their side’
Talking about her role as foster carer, Kiffy says: “This is what hurts me, when these kids come, they don’t come to us skipping and singing.
“They’ve already come from extreme circumstances. As a foster parent, you have to let these kids know you are on their side. I’m never going to let you down, I’m always going to stand by you. And when you’re ready to talk to me you can tell me anything. That’s a long process.”
Joe adds: “Over the 11 years my mum has looked after Daniel, she’s received foster care allowance from social services. But she feels this all fell away when he was 18.”
Joe Swash breaks down on tears during foster care doc
During filming of the BBC documentary, Joe Swash becomes emotional and breaks down in tears at the plight of some of these children.
He says: “Can you imagine growing up without a mum and dad? Without anyone to look out for you? It’s heartbreaking.
“My kids are my passion. I’m always in a house full of love. At least one of the kids loves me at one time. I don’t know what life would be like if I had kids and I couldn’t see them. I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t have kids. Especially as I lost my dad when I was 11; I know how important it is to have a family and have a dad.”
Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash vow to become foster parents
During an emotionally charged, heartfelt chat, Joe reveals his desire to foster children in the future.
Wife Stacey Solomon says: “Making this documentary means a lot to Joe. He knows what’s it like not to have a father figure. One of the first things we spoke about when we spoke about having our own children was how much he would eventually love to one day foster. Or to give something back to those who don’t have what you want them to have.
“It would be difficult to do it with kids so young now. I would worry about the child, and I wouldn’t want them to come into an environment where we couldn’t give them 100 per cent attention.”
Joe added: “I do think it is something we could look into.”
Joe Swash: Teens in Care airs on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at 9pm on BBC One.
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