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Fostering is a way of offering children and young people a home while their own family is unable to look after them. It can be a temporary arrangement and some cared-for children return to their own families. Those children that cannot return to their families often live in long-term fostering households and have continued support from the local authority or health and social care trust. These young people may continue to have contact with their families. Foster carers never have parental responsibility for a child that they care for. The Fostering foundation specialises in long-term and permanent placements as this is what the majority of our cared-for children need.

Adoption is a way of providing a new family for children who cannot be brought up by their own parents. It is a legal procedure and all parental responsibility is transferred to the adopters. An adopted child loses all legal ties with their birth parents.

Yes, whether you are single, married, divorced or a single parent we can offer you the support to foster.

Yes. Your sexual orientation will not affect your application to foster with us. We welcome applications from same-sex couples.

 It does not matter what your religion is and this should not affect your application to foster. Children should be placed with foster families that can meet their needs, including religious needs. However, you would need to consider how you would feel about discussing issues such as alternative religious beliefs, identity or sexuality with a child. 

 We try to give you as much information as we can when we discuss a child or young person with you. All the information we have is provided by the local authority, and we’ll try and find out as much as possible to help you decide whether a child or young person will fit into your family. 

 If you currently claim welfare benefits and are interested in fostering please check out the current information on the government website. https://www.gov.uk/support-for-foster-parents/tax-arrangements or ring your local benefits helpline. 

 The time in between getting approved and until you are able to welcome a child/ young person into your home will vary from person to person. We’ll always put matching you and a child/young person (based on your assessment and (approval) above anything else. Of course you will be involved in making decisions about who comes to live with you – it is so important to get this right. 

Having pets does not prevent you from fostering, and they can in fact be an asset to a foster family. Every animal is different and your pets will be assessed as part of the process of becoming a foster carer, taking into account factors such as their temperament and behaviour.