An 11-year-old in Leicestershire swaps teddies when foster children move on

Millie, 11, buys two identical teddy bears so a goodbye in her fostering family has something soft to hold onto. BBC News reported the tradition on November 8, 2026. Her parents foster with Leicestershire County Council. While a foster child is living with them, Millie and the child each cuddle one bear. When the child moves on, they swap.

She told the BBC that her teddy then has the baby's cuddles on it, and the teddy that leaves has hers. She said she hopes her bear makes them smile, and that it helps her to know part of them is still in the house. The family was approved to foster in 2022 and has welcomed five foster children. Her mother, Becky, said the family sat down together before they started, because she wanted their own children to have a say. Her father, Adam, described bringing a child in from birth until a forever home or a return to parents.

Millie said the first days feel a little different, and that she now loves it when children arrive. She plays with them, shares toys, and tries to include them in what the family does. She has been there for first birthdays and for younger children learning to crawl, walk, and talk. Councillor Charles Pugsley, the council's lead member for children and families, said birth children of foster carers help children in care feel safe at a complicated time. The news is Millie's pair of bears, not a count of every fostering household in the county.