While making our productionThe Children's Inquirywith care-experienced young people, we kept hearing the same thing: care often felt transactional rather than real. There was a need for practical tools to help build genuine connections.

How to Build a Family grew from that need. It's playful and personal. At its heart is Loco Parentis, a card game co-designed with Creative Associates Tamara Browne and Tom Hume-Steer, now being distributed. We reached 2,770 students through workshops and assemblies, consulting with them on what makes a good game and what care means to them – the responses have been astounding.

We're currently creating a series of four short training videos with animation, voices from young people in care, biological parents, foster carers, and social workers. Young people consistently show us they know exactly what they need to thrive – so how do we build families, whatever their shape and colour, that let them do just that?

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