While making our production The Children's Inquiry with
care-experienced young people, we gathered there was a real need for practical tools to help build genuine connections within the care system. The wider issue was a lack of relationship-based models - care often felt transactional rather than real. 

How to Build a Family grew from that need. It's a multi-faceted project creating resources that center care-experienced voices. We've reached 2,770 students through workshops and assemblies across schools, consulting with them on what makes a good game and what care means to them - responses have been astounding! All young people have valuable insights about what it takes to feel seen and loved in a family setting, whatever it may look like.

At the heart of the project is a card game we're co-designing with Creative Associates Tamara Browne and Tom Hume-Steer, alongside key consultant groups of care-experienced young people. The game covers six key areas – communication, love, trust, boundaries, play, and fire! – and is designed with young people and their guardians in mind. The young people involved have been clear about what they want: something that's fun first, that creates genuine moments of connection and learning about one another, and that doesn't feel like another intervention being done to them.