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Find your local team

Edinburgh

1 Scott House, Mid New Cultins, Edinburgh, EH11 4DH

Ayr

1 Racecourse Road, Ayr, KA7 2UP

Dundee

Lothian House, 31 S Tay Street, Dundee, DD1 1NP

Hamilton

Waverley House, Hamilton Business Park, Caird Park, Hamilton, ML3 0QA

Paisley

Mirren Court Three, 123 Renfrew Road, Paisley, PA3 4EA

Coventry

Nettle Hill Conference Centre, Parva Mews, Brinklow Road, Ansty, Coventry, CV7 9JL

Doncaster

2B Sidings Court, Doncaster, DN4 5NU

Stonehouse

6 Queen's Road, Stonehouse, GL10 2QA

Milton Keynes

Wavendon Tower, Ortensia Drive, Wavendon Gate, Milton Keynes, MK17 8LX

Long Eaton

Jubilee House, 31-33 Meadow Lane, Long Eaton, Nottingham, NG10 2FE

Team

Enquiry

Becoming a foster parent is one of the most rewarding things you can do. Find out more about fostering and how you can change the life of a young person, plus all the benefits, support and generous payments we offer at Fosterplus.

Locations

Fostering in Birmingham

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Fostering in Perth and Kinross

Fostering in Angus

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Fostering in Worksop

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Fostering in Hitchin

Fostering in Stevenage

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Fostering in Buckinghamshire

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Fostering in Bristol

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Fostering in Basingstoke

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Fostering in Herefordshire

Fostering in Bath

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Fostering in East Kilbride

Fostering in Dumbarton

Fostering in Cumbernauld

Fostering in Dunfermline

Fostering in Stirling

Fostering in Livingstone

Fostering in Lanarkshire

Fostering in Scotland

Fostering in Stroud

Fostering in Newbury

Fostering in Weston-super-Mare

Fostering in Andover

What is foster care?

The role of a foster parent is to offer a child a safe and nurturing home when they're not able to stay at home. This could be for a night or two, or many years until the child reaches adulthood.

FAQ's

Types of fostering

There are many different types of fostering in England and Scotland, including short-term or interim, long-term, emergency foster care and more. Find out more!

Short-term & interim fostering

Short-term fostering (interim foster care in Scotland) provides a stable home to a child when they can't stay at home and can last up to two years.

Long term & permanence

Long-term fostering is needed for children who are unable to live with their birth family. This type of fostering lasts at least two years, but usually up until the child reaches 18. Learn more.

Respite fostering

Respite foster care means looking after a child while their main carers or birth parents take a break. It's usually a night or two, and often over a weekend or school holidays.

Emergency fostering

Emergency foster parents provide a home to a vulnerable child who is in urgent need of safety. Emergency fostering is very short term but requires specialist skills. Find out more about this life-changing role.

Parent and child fostering

Parent and child fostering is caring for a vulnerable parent and their young child. Find out more about the role and how you can make a real difference.

Foster siblings

Many siblings in care end up being separated. As a foster parent for siblings, you will be helping a brother and sister stay together in foster care. Find out more.

Children with disabilities

Fostering a child with disabilities is incredibly rewarding. It is a specialist role so Fosterplus will provide you with advanced training and support to help you provide the best care possible. Find out more.

Sanctuary-seeking fostering

We need foster parents who can provide a foster home to asylum-seeking children. Sanctuary-seeking children arrive in the UK without parents and are often scared and alone.

Fostering Teenagers

There are many teenagers in foster care who need supportive, patient and nurturing foster parents to build the skills they need for adulthood. Learn more about fostering teenagers.

How to become a foster parent

The fostering process takes around 4-6 months and includes a series of social work visits, checks and references. Learn about the steps to become a foster parent here.

Inital call

Find out more about how to become a foster parent. The first step is to have a call with our fostering team who will chat through the process with you. Find out more.

Home visit

After the initial phone call, we will arrange a visit with you to discuss fostering in more detail. Find out more.

Foster care application form

If you're ready to get the ball rolling with your fostering assessment, you'll need to complete an application form. This covers a range of things, including basic personal details and work history.

Fostering assessment

The fostering assessment - also known as the Form F - takes around 4-6 months and involves social work visits, background checks and more. Find out more!

Foster parent background checks

Part of the fostering assessment involves several checks and references being carried out. Learn more about the process and what is involved.

Skills to Foster training

During your assessment, you'll attend our Skills to Foster training course which is a 3-day programme for potential foster parents like you. Find out more!

Fostering panel

Before you are approved as a foster parent, you will attend a panel meeting to review your assessment. Fosterplus will help you feel at ease during the process. Find out more.

Your first foster child

Welcoming your first foster child is an exciting experience. Learn more about what to expect, how to prepare and the support and guidance Fosterplus will provide you.

Who Can Foster?

LGBTQ Fostering

We have many foster parents from the LGBTQ community who are transforming children's lives every day. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and walks of life. Speak to us today!

Age Requirements to Foster

Many people rule themselves out of fostering as they think they're too old or too young. The only requirement is that you're over 21 and there's no upper age limit to foster.

Fostering With a Disability

Having a disability will not prevent you from fostering, as long as you're able to meet the needs of a child or young person in your care. Find out more.

Can You Foster With a Mental Health Condition?

A mental health condition will not automatically disqualify you from becoming a foster parent - neither will being on antidepressants. Find out more today.

Can You Be A Foster Parent If You’re Single?

We have many single foster parents in our team - men and women, some single parents too! Find out about becoming a single foster parent today!

Do You Need Experience To Foster?

You don't need any qualifications or previous experience to foster a child - although it can be beneficial. Find out more today!

Do You Need A Spare Room To Foster?

It's a requirement to have a spare room that's always available to be able to foster. Find out more about the foster care spare room requirements today!

Can you work and be a foster parent?

It's possible to work and be a foster parent, however, it does completely depend on your personal circumstances. Find out more today!

Children in foster care

There are many reasons why children are taken into care. The most common are due to abuse and neglect - accounting for 60% of children in foster care.

Why foster?

About us

Fosterplus was founded in 1996, giving us almost 25 years’ continuous experience as an independent fostering agency. Find out more about us today.

Training

We help our foster parents provide the very best care to children by offering extensive training and guidance. Find out more about the specialist courses we offer.

Support for foster parents

Our work is designed to keep fostering families together and to provide stability and certainty for everyone. We achieve this by connecting our foster parents to exceptional support. Find out more.

Foster Care Matching Process

By the time children and young people come into Fosterplus many have already experienced a huge amount of disruption and unrest. That's why we have a matching process in place to help break this cycle. Find out more.

Independent fostering agencies

Learn about the differences between fostering with an independent fostering agency (IFA) and a local authority. Find out which suits you best.

Why choose us?

Our success is through our extensive training and support, careful matching, and generous payments and benefits. Discover more about what we can offer.

Statement of purpose

Transfer fostering agencies

Are you looking to transfer fostering agencies? Find out more about the amazing benefits we offer when you choose to become a foster parent with Fosterplus!

Fostering Allowance

We offer a generous weekly fostering allowance and additional benefits to our foster parents. Find out how much you could be paid as a foster parent today!

Allowance calculator

Our foster parents are financially rewarded for the crucial work they do caring for children. Find out how much you could receive using our fostering allowance calculator.

Fostering Allowance Scotland

We offer a generous fostering allowance to our foster parents in Scotland for their hard work and dedication. Find out how much you could receive today!

Tax allowance

Generally, foster carers won’t pay tax on their fostering allowance if they’re caring for just 1 child. Find out more about tax and fostering!

National Insurance

Find out more about what National Insurance you will need to pay as a foster parent.

Fostering and benefits

Learn more about becoming a foster parent and whether fostering can affect your benefits.

Resources

News & Blogs

Welcoming our first foster child

Adi and Kelly started fostering in 2019 and have cared for a number of children in a short space of time. Today, they share their experience of welcoming their first child.

Lessons from a first time foster parent

Taryn is a foster parent, who shares her experience of fostering and welcoming her first child into her home.

Mike and Rose

Rose and Mike, foster parents based in Milton Keynes, have provided over 100 periods of vital care.

“Fostering has given us the ability to become parents for the first time”

Foster parents, Denise and her husband George share how they’ve been able to give children who have had a poor start in life, a better future.

Becoming a single foster mum: my fostering assessment

Single mum, Nikki, shares her experience of being assessed to become a foster parent.

“There’s nothing like seeing the world through a child’s eyes”

Theresa, a foster parent based in Gloucester, shares the magic of Christmas.

"We watched from the window and cried as they drove off"

Suzanne shares her powerful story of fostering a young boy, who completely transformed in her care and preparing to say goodbye as he went on to be adopted by his forever family.

“We soon realised that they just wanted to be loved”

Irene started fostering 6 years ago and shares some of her best memories as a foster carer.

"They've been a welcome addition to our family"

Starting out their fostering career caring for younger children, Heidi and Lee decided to take on caring for teenagers too and have loved the joy it brings.

Alan and Helen’s Fostering Journey

Alan and Helen have cared for many children during their fostering career, including three unaccompanied teenagers on a long-term basis.

A New Life In The UK - Senay’s Story

Supervising Social Worker, Sue shares the story of a young boy in our care, who made the brave decision to leave his home country of Eritrea.

A Day In The Life Of A Foster Carer

Sandra and John have been fostering for two years and are caring for a 16-year-old girl called Katlyn. Today, they share a day in the life of a foster family.

“It doesn’t take much”

Yasmin, a birth daughter of one of our foster parents explains what it's like to be part of a family that fosters.

"My one regret? That I didn’t make that call 10 years earlier!"

Originally a nurse, Elaine decided to retrain to be a foster parent. Since being approved, her only regret was that she didn't do it 10 years earlier!

“I just couldn't stop thinking to myself, ‘I want to help; I want to make a difference…’”

Sarah and her husband, Steven, decided to embark on a new journey in fostering just over three years ago, after a lifetime of wanting to give children a brighter future.

“The difference you can make to a child’s life is just truly immeasurable”

Richard shares his experience as a single foster parent and caring for a vulnerable young person during a pandemic.

Summer Kitchen Project Launch

Our Milton Keynes team have launched a brand new campaign to encourage children to grow and cook with their own fruit and vegetables.

Staying Put – Before and After legislation came into effect.

A look at the changes to legislation before the Staying Put Scheme was introduced and how this has affected young people.

How Foster Care helped shape a Champion

Read David's story on how he not only became a Scottish and British Gymnastics Champion, but also competed on behalf of Great Britain and won over 10 gold and silver medals in international competitions.

Foster Carer Achievement Event

Fosterplus celebrated the achievements of their foster carers in Long Eaton with a special awards lunch.

Edinburgh Team at the Children’s Food Trust Course

Foster Carer Denise and Recruitment Officer Susan had a successful day at the Children’s Food Trust for their Children’s Food course.

A Note From Olympic Champion Laura Trott

Olympic champion, Laura Trott, shares words of wisdom with Fosterplus!

Fosterplus Help Raise £1,222 for BBC Children in Need!

Read how our teams at Fosterplus came together to raise an amazing £1,222 for Children in Need.

We’re celebrating LGBT history month

We're dressing up for Purple Friday, to show our support of LGBT history month.

Trauma Teddies

The team at Fosterplus Edinburgh have been creating cute and colourful teddy bears which will be given to looked after children and those in traumatic situations.

Fostering Better Outcomes

Read the Government Response to the ‘Independent Review into Fostering, Foster Care in England February 2018.

Carers Shortlisted for Two Fostering Excellence Awards

Read about our Paisley foster carers who have been shortlisted for two Fostering Excellence Awards.

Edinburgh Has Been Fundraising

Read how our Fosterplus team in Edinburgh have been raising money for MacMillan Cancer Support.

Food Bank Appeal Success

Read about how our teams at Fosterplus have been busy gathering food donations over the festive period to donate to food banks across the country.

Fosterplus Ayr Recognised for Improving Health & Wellbeing of Workforce

Find out more about how our Ayr office has been recognised for helping to improve health and well-being of staff.

Team MK Take On 12-Hour Cyclathon for Children In Need

Read about our 12-hour cyclathon challenge undertaken by Milton Keynes team to raise money for Children in Need.

Fosterplus Donates Over 300 Items to Food Banks This Christmas

Read how Fosterplus have been collecting food to help those in need during the festive season.

Celebrating Foster Parents Who Are Keeping Siblings Together

We are celebrating inspiring foster parents who are keeping siblings in care together.

Fostering Assessments with Fosterplus during social distancing

Read how Fosterplus are assessing new foster parents during the Covid-19 government restrictions.

Our Response to COVID-19

Read Fosterplus's response to Covid-19.

5 Tips to Keep Children Safe Online

Read our guidance on how to keep children safe online.

Keeping the Promise

Chrise Grundy Hoban, Head of Operations for Fosterplus Scotland, outlines her commitment to #KeepthePromise for the children and young people of Scotland.

Mumsnet Questions: What should I expect from my first home visit with the social worker?

So, you’ve expressed your interest to become a foster carer and passed the initial call. But what happens next?

How to Support Your Own Children When Fostering

If you're thinking of becoming a foster parent, read some great advice from our experienced foster carers on how to support your own children when fostering.

Things to do on the First Day with a Foster Child

Our foster carers share advice for welcoming your first foster child and what to do on that first day.

How to Prepare for Your First Foster Child

Foster carers share their advice and tips for welcoming your first foster child.

Fostering on Mother’s Day

Some of our carers share their stories on how they celebrate Mother's Day as a foster parent.

How Hard Is It To Keep Siblings In Foster Care Together?

We researched the statistics of siblings in foster care. Bloggers share their views on the findings.

How does fostering affect my benefits?

Learn more about how becoming a foster parent affects any benefits you may be claiming.

How to Get Your Child to Wear a Helmet

Children's safety is so important so we've put together some easy tricks that you can try for getting your child to wear a helmet when out on their bike.

10 Ways to Make a Foster Child Feel Special at Christmas

Christmas can be a special time for a family. Some of our foster parents share their tips on how to make a foster child feel special and part of the family at Christmas.

How You Can Help Your Child Deal with Frustration and Anger

We share advice on supporting your child in managing their emotions, and dealing with feelings of anger and frustration.

Firefighter Shares Fire Prevention Tips at Carer Support Group

It's important to be aware of fire safety, especially within the home. One of our foster parents who is a Firefighter shares their guidance on fire prevention in the home.

How You Can Encourage Learning Over Christmas

Take a look at our suggestions for fun, festive activities that encourage learning for children.

Events

Virtual events

Virtual Fostering Information Evening | 17th February 2021