Foster care
matching process
The best matches make for the best experiences
By the time children and young people come into Fosterplus, many have already experienced a huge amount of disruption and unrest, and for some, this may be another move in the foster care system.
We do everything we can to break this cycle and provide a more stable experience. This is what we mean by continuity, and it’s something we’re always looking to achieve.
The key to this is making sure we match the right children to the right foster parents, providing a platform for their growth and development in a secure and supportive home. This makes for a more rewarding experience for everyone involved so we take a great deal of care to get it right.
Careful consideration
At Fosterplus, there’s far more to matching than just studying paperwork and making an informed guess. It’s a detailed and well-considered process, and we involve everyone as much as we can.
The child
When a child comes into care, we receive information about their experiences, vulnerabilities, personality and needs, so we can gain a real understanding of them as a person and the environment they would thrive in.
The foster parent
Throughout your assessment and time with us, we really get to know you, including your home life, interests and personality, as well as your preferences (for example, age of children) and training.
Professional expertise
As well as experts from the foster child’s local authority, we have our own in-house team to call on too, including referrals officers and social workers. Their views help inform our decision-making.
How the matching process works
Sharing information openly, we all work together to connect the right people, providing a stable framework which allows children to find their feet and take positive steps forward. As a foster parent, you’ll be right at the heart of all this. There’s no pressure on you, and we won’t judge you if you say no to a particular child. If it’s going to work, it all has to work for everyone. When everyone’s in agreement, we’ll put you forward to the local authority and if successful, form a care plan for each individual child – and then support you to deliver it.
We take pride in our matching process because we know how critical it is. As a result, we have an excellent track record of success, including a low rate of ‘unplanned endings’ (when a child has left the placement before it’s expected time). In the UK, around 22% of placement endings are unplanned, however with our expert matching and support, the unplanned endings at Fosterplus are considerably lower; with 9% in England and 13% in Scotland.
On the rare occasions we do have an unplanned ending, we review it as part of a formal meeting so that we can learn from our experiences and become even better.
In this way, we help keep fostering families together for longer, providing stability and more rewarding placements.
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Why choose us?
Everything we do is geared towards this idea of continuity, and it’s something that our foster parents experience too – with stable teams and consistent support and training.
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Support for the family
With Fosterplus, you'll be connected to the support you need 24/7/365. This ranges from a dedicated social worker, regular support groups, direct access to Fosterplus management and an out of hours service.
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Allowance calculator
You’ll benefit from an attractive fostering payment for when a child is in your care, together with other benefits and rewards. Find out how much you could receive using our allowance calculator.
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By phone
One of our team is available to talk to you over the phone to answer any of your fostering queries.
Enquire online
You can get in touch by filling out our online enquiry form with any queries that you may have.
Your local team
Find contact details for your local office team. We’re always happy for you to pop-in and chat.