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Welcome to fostering

What is fostering?

Two male adults and two children are sat on the floor playing a game of Jenga. They are all focused on one of the adults taking their turn at Jenga.

Children and young people come into care for all sorts of reasons.

Kitchen scene of a happy male adult serving food, stood in between two smiling children who are sat at the kitchen table with plates of food in front of them

It can be due to a parent’s ill health, family problems, because a child has been neglected or abused or they may have arrived unaccompanied from overseas.

Close up shot of female adult washing the dishes in the kitchen, with a teenage girl who is drying dishes.

Fostering is welcoming these children into your home and family life. Fostering makes a hugely positive difference to children’s lives.

The benefits of fostering

Our foster carers tell us that fostering is hugely fulfilling and rewarding.

Fostering gives children a safe, secure place to stay, stability to help them flourish and the opportunity to experience family life. Fostering families make a difference. Sharing your heart and home can shape a child’s life and their future for the better. You can give a child a place to call home, feel safe and help them learn how to build trusting relationships.

Being a foster carer can be challenging but it is also hugely fulfilling, sharing the small moments that show the difference you have made to the lives of children and young people.

As a foster carer, you’ll be a vital part of a professional team, working together to give children the best possible chance in life. Your local council has experienced, dedicated specialist social workers who can support you with the day-to-day care of the children and young people who live with you.

As a foster carer you will be self-employed and will receive a dedicated tax-free allowance and additional benefits.

Types of fostering

Did you know there are many different ways you can foster? Some carers can offer a home for children in a range of different circumstances; some can offer a home for children only in specific circumstances. Whatever your circumstances, we want to hear from you.

A young boy sits in a wheelchair with two adults who are sitting on the sofa. The male adult is holding a book for the boy to look at, and the female adult is smiling at the boy while holding a mug.

Who needs foster care?

Children need foster care for lots of different reasons. Some children have been neglected or abused. Their parents may be ill, in prison or having relationship problems. Unaccompanied minors also need foster care while their immigration status is assessed.

Many children return to live with their birth families. But they need a loving and secure family home while their parents receive the help and support they need. Other children are unable to return home and need a long-term home with a foster family.

To find out about how your Council supports foster carers, click the logos below

Get in touch to find out more about fostering with your local council

Take the first step towards becoming a foster carer for your local council and change a child’s life forever. You could become part of a community of extraordinary people doing extraordinary things, every day.

Complete the short form and one of our fostering experts will be in touch. Or give us a call on 020 8496 3437 or e-mail hello@localcommunityfostering.co.uk.

We’re ready to hear from you.

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