Fostering First Ireland celebrates its 20 Year Anniversary

Themed “Our Journey to Being Trauma-Informed,” the day brought together professionals, carers, and guest speakers to reflect on two decades of fostering excellence and the organisation’s evolving commitment to trauma-informed practice.

The day began with a warm welcome from FFI Founder, Jim Cockburn and current CEO, Marie Faughey. The opening address was delivered by Cormac Quinlan, Assistant National Director for Practice and Children in Care at Tusla.

Renowned clinical psychologist and trauma specialist Dr. Karen Treisman took the stage as the first keynote speaker, sharing her expertise on trauma-informed care and its transformative potential. This was followed by FFI’s own presentation, “Staying Connected – Our Practice Journey,” which offered attendees an inside look at how the organisation has embedded trauma-informed principles into its work over the years.

Later in the day, keynote addresses were delivered by Dr. Nicola O’Sullivan, a humanistic and integrative psychotherapist, and Siobhán Prendiville, a play therapist and child psychotherapist, both of whom brought rich insight and practical understanding to the conversation around therapeutic care and emotional wellbeing.

Dr. Karen Treisman returned to deliver a closing address titled “Sowing the Seeds,” offering a powerful reflection on how trauma-informed practice can lay the groundwork for long-term, meaningful change. The day concluded with a panel discussion and final remarks at 3.30pm, bringing together key themes and voices from the conference in a collaborative and engaging close.