Becoming a carer

What Is Fostering?

Fostering means caring for children in a home situation, when they are unable to be cared for by their own family. Foster placements can be very short term or may last for a few months or several years. Fostering is intended to help children through a difficult time in their life by giving them a safe and stable home.
Fostering has become increasingly respected, as the benefits of a good foster home for children in the care of the Local Authority have become more recognised.
That’s not to say that fostering suits all children - the type of care that suits children best will vary according to the individual needs of the child. The emphasis is now on providing quality care, but tailored to the needs of the child.

Help and Support

There is help for you too. We give you the support and training you need to help you meet the standards of care set down in law. In the last ten years or so, the foster carer’s job has become more defined, more regulated, better supported and better paid.

It's Rewarding

Fostering is not something everyone can do and you are, quite rightly, paid for your skill and dedication.
This website is intended to give you a first look into the world of fostering. You’ll find out about the way foster carers are recruited and how The Fostering Foundation can help you get into fostering and stay with it. We’ll also set out carers’ finance and other benefits you will receive.
Becoming a foster carer is an important decision that you should not take lightly. You should think hard about its implications for you and your immediate and extended family, if you have one.
When fostering is done well, the high-quality care you give will be a life-changing experience for you and the children for whom you care.