If you’re thinking of changing foster agencies, or maybe you’re looking to start your foster care career, then you may be finding it difficult to work out which agency would be best for you – or indeed whether you want to work with an independent fostering agency or with a local authority.
First, let’s go through the differences between independent fostering and fostering with local authorities.
When a child or young person is taken into care, the first step is to try and place them with one of the local authority’s own foster families. However, if this isn’t possible, then the local authority will employ the aid of independent agencies to help meet the ever-growing need for foster carers and families.
This means that local authority foster carers are approached first and so will often receive their preferred placement types quicker than those working independently. Independent agencies, however, are larger and so have far more resources available and can offer more in terms of weekly allowances, training and support options and generally cover a larger area than any local or county council does.
So why choose us and become a foster carer with FosterCare UK?
At FosterCare UK, we have the resources to provide a wide range of skills training opportunities as well as offer extensive carer support services while also retaining a sense of community and family. We work closely with all of our team – from office staff to foster parents to social workers – to create a nurturing, caring, and ultimately fun, workplace environment. We believe that the key to providing top quality care is to make sure that our fostering team themselves feel happy and supported by their foster agency.
We are dedicated to our work in providing children and young people around the South East of England with quality fostering services that can really make a difference in their lives. We are proud to have a 97% success rate when it comes to providing suitable foster carers and successful placement outcomes. We work tirelessly to ensure that the foster homes we provide are the best possible match for the needs of the looked after children and young people that we place.
We have the ability to offer many types of fostering service including sibling group, parent and child, respite and more. We also have our own in-house multi-disciplinary assessment & treatment team led by an expert Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist, allowing us to provide looked after children and young people with therapeutic fostering services and support.
We also offer all of our carers with competitive fostering allowances. Click here to learn more.
Whether you’re a registered foster carer with existing placements looking to change fostering agency, are thinking of fostering for the first time or would just like more information, then we’d love to hear from you. Contact us today by giving us a call on 0844 800 1941 or by completing our online enquiry form. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will be on hand to answer any questions and offer advice as to how best start your foster care journey.