Celebrating young care experienced people – Care Day 2026

The theme for this year is “Voices that care” and our care experienced Shared Lives ambassadors, their Shared Lives carers, and our colleagues at Shared Lives Plus leading the young people leaving care programme – have come together to show ‘they care’ and support this worldwide movement of reform.

Vicky (right) and Shared Lives carer Jane

Shared Lives means I am able to be part of a family and feel loved. When I was in foster care I didn’t feel like I felt loved within the placement. But now since moving into Shared Lives I feel so much love that I have never had before. The way that I am loved with being with Jane makes me feel like that I can be loved and be part of the family. She always listens to me and always is with me if I am not feeling well.

Gracie

For Care Day 2026, Gracie (pictured on the right in the first photo above with Shared Lives Plus colleagues Rachel and Mary) created a graphic with her thoughts and experience of Shared Lives. It reads:

“#ICARE – I no longer dwell on my past, but I look forward to the future because they are a part of it, my founded family within Shared Lives. I feel safe, secure and valued as a person; I am listened to and I am loved for they share every burden with me and every triumph.

“The trusted relationships are what I value most being a part of my Shared Lives journey, it’s all about the interdependence of finding growth in each other and learning more about ourselves because of another person, who you lean on and trust.”

Katie (right) and Shared Lives carer Rug

Here I am after 4 years of being in Shared Lives, I am still living with my amazing family. If you ever ask me the question which is better, being in foster care or being in Shared Lives? I would say Shared Lives because there is more freedom in what I can do.

Also, I like talking to my area coordinator more than a social worker because she lets me lead the talk and doesn’t come with a check list of questions to ask me, and also, they have a joke with me.

Most importantly, Shared Lives has helped me grow my confidence in the 18 months because I used to be a person who didn’t really talk to anyone but family and kept to myself. But now I have set up a bowling group for young people, been a local ambassador for my scheme, and my big achievement is gaining part time employment.

My highlight so far of being an ambassador must be making the videos as it shows what Shared Lives means to young people. My aspiration would be to be the voice to open doors to more especially those who get lost in the system, and to make Shared Lives not be the last option for care leavers.

I would not have done any of this without my Shared Lives family, Shared Lives Plus and my scheme.

On Care Day 2026, we invite everyone to join in!

For care experienced young people share why and how you’d like to change the care system for the better, and what you enjoy about Shared Lives, by sharing a:

• Video/photo
• Social media post
• Blog
• Poem or piece of art
• Or any way you’d like to express yourself

For supporters, such as Shared Lives carers, scheme workers, friends of Shared Lives:

• Write ‘#I Care’ on the palm of your hand
• Take a selfie/photo
• Share on social media with a caption explaining how you care
• Add the hashtag #CareDay and tag Shared Lives Plus and Become!

Find out more about the Shared Lives for young people leaving care programme.