Thinking of fostering?
Freephone 08000 19 1165

About Fostering

Fostering is not just about having a spare room. Fostering is a commitment to children, to share your home with children that really need you but may not want you to know they need you.

Children want to know how you are going to keep them safe, will you hug them, will you cook their favourite foods, will you help them to see their family members.

Why Foster?

Do you want to be part of children’s lives and make a difference to theirs?

Fostering a child is a challenging, yet highly rewarding experience. Whether temporary or long-term, you’ll be giving a child a loving and nurturing home, which can make all the difference. Your life will never be the same – and neither will theirs.

Many foster children and young people have experienced difficult upbringings with inconsistent parenting and traumatic experiences or upheaval. Foster parents can give them the chance to grow up in a safe environment where they can focus on enjoying life and building a positive future.

Fostering will take you on a rewarding journey and you will  be supported to look after the children throughout.

Read our Foster Parent’s blog to learn more about the fostering experience.

Foster Family meal time

What you need to become a Foster Carer

Anyone over the age of 21 can apply to be considered as a Foster Carer. Our Foster Carers are as diverse as the children they look after. You can be single or married or be in a long-term stable relationship. You can own your own home, or you can rent. 

However, you must have a spare room, so any foster child or young person placed with you has their own separate bedroom and space for themselves and to keep their personal possessions. 

As you would expect, extensive references are undertaken in respect of all prospective foster carers, including police checks, but only certain serious criminal convictions will automatically disqualify you from becoming a Foster Carer.

Foster Mum playing games with child

Our role in supporting Foster Parents

Regional Foster Families is an independent fostering agency with a family feel. We provide safe, high-quality families for children and young people who are ‘looked after’ by local authorities. We pride ourselves on providing an environment which enables children and young people to fulfil their potential and live positive lives.

We’re passionate about providing the best outcomes for children and young people. We will be there every step of the way to support you in your journey as a Foster Carer. Our devoted teams have manageable workloads, so they can focus on helping our foster families and keeping everyone safe.

As a fostering agency we provide:

  • Excellent Training (both online and Face to Face)
  • A range of therapeutic and support services
  • Regular support groups, family fun days and events so you can connect with other foster families
  • Excellent pay and support package
  • Holiday payments to help finance family holidays with foster children
  • A mentor (another foster carer) can be allocated to our foster carers if needed for additional support
  • Complimentary membership to the Fostering Network, which includes independent advice lines and legal insurance
  • Individualised education programmes/courses available to help support children and young people’s development
  • Access to specialist therapists and psychologists
  • 24/7 out-of-hours support, 365 days of the year
Foster family Support

How long does it take to get started?

As you would expect, references and checks are undertaken and training is provided to help ensure children and young people are kept safe.

A social worker will work with you to undertake a fostering assessment. This is known as a Form F fostering assessment. You can read more about this fostering assessment and approval process here. Rest assured, we will be with you every step of the way.

Most successful applicants can expect to be ready to start fostering within 8 to 10 weeks.

Is fostering financially Viable?

This is something everyone interested in becoming a foster parent will need to consider.

We have put together a page designed to give the important initial information. Click / touch the link below to find out more:

Making it work – Fostering allowances and finances explained.
Become a Fostering Family

Regional Foster Families would love to hear from you!

If you would like to find out more about being a Foster Carer, fill out the form below. A friendly member of our social work team will be in touch. The contact from us to discuss fostering will be informal and there is no obligation or pressure to commit. It will give you an opportunity to talk it through, ask any questions and found out more about us.

    For more information about Fostering and how to get started

    Please have a look at our more detailed services pages for Foster Care, Fostering Assessments, Foster Care Training

    Thinking of Fostering?
    Thinking of Fostering?

    Thinking About Fostering

    If you are interested in becoming a foster parent and have or will have a spare room in the near future, then please don’t hesitate to call us on 08000 19 11 65 or fill in the enquiry form below.

      Can anyone apply to become a foster parent?

      Anyone over the age of 24 can apply to be considered as a foster parent. Foster carers are as diverse as the children they look after. You can be single or married or be in a long term stable relationship, with a partner of either gender. You can own your own home or you can rent.

      Making an application does not commit you to continuing with the assessment, and many people do not go further than the first information stage. This is quite acceptable, as people need to feel sure that fostering is right for them.

      Are there any reasons why I can’t foster?

      Obviously fostering isn’t for everyone but we won’t exclude anyone on the grounds of race, religion, gender, class, age, culture, marital status or sexuality.

      As you would expect, extensive references are undertaken in respect of all prospective foster carers, including police checks, but only certain serious criminal convictions will automatically disqualify you from becoming a foster carer.

      What is it really like to be a foster parent?

      As a foster parent you will be faced with situations which may be unfamiliar to you. It isn’t something you can do alone – fostering will have an impact on your family.

      Helping a child or young person can be rewarding but it can also mean coping with difficult or challenging behaviour. Most of our carers find that the rewards of fostering far outweigh the problems and frustrations.

      Do I need a big house?

      No, so long as any child or young person placed has their own separate bedroom and space to keep personal possessions it does not matter what size your house is. Ideally each child in the household should have their own bedroom.

      Do I have to have children of my own?

      No. Many children are successfully placed with carers who do not have children of their own or whose children have grown up.

      How old are the foster children and what type of arrangements can I expect?

      Children can be of any age and arrangements can vary from single children to sibling groups to parent and child. The social worker will discuss with you what age children and types of arrangements that will best suit your skills, abilities and circumstances. However, there is much demand for foster carers who can work with teenagers.

      How long do the foster children stay with us?

      There is no easy answer to this because it depends on the reasons the children need to be looked after. It can be a day, a week, months or even years.

      Most families will be encouraged to think about the sort of work they want to do with children and their families, and this will then identify what kind of care they can offer to children. Each child will have a care plan that is regularly reviewed, determining how long the child will stay.

      Why might a child or young person leave a foster family?

      Children and young people’s time in a foster family can come to an end in many ways. It may be part of a care plan that the child or young person is ready to return home, a specified piece of work has come to an end, or the young person moves on to independent living.

      How do I apply?

      Becoming a foster parent isn’t a decision one can take lightly. We suggest your next step is to talk to one of our team on 08000 19 11 65 between 9-00am and 5-00pm weekdays or complete the enquiry form when we will send you more information.

        Thinking of Fostering?
        Thinking of Fostering?

        Thinking About Fostering

        If you are interested in becoming a foster parent and have or will have a spare room in the near future, then please don’t hesitate to call us on 08000 19 11 65 or fill in the enquiry form below.