We’re thrilled to hear that you’re considering becoming a foster carer! But once you've made that decision, what happens next?
How do I find a fostering service?
The first step to becoming an approved foster carer is choosing a fostering service in your area.
- Recruitment Hubs: Recruitment Hubs are clusters of local authorities which have come together to run a central service for prospective foster carers, providing support from general enquiries through to application. You can search for your local recruitment hub on our Find a Fostering Service tool, here.
There are two main types of fostering services in England:
- Local Authority (LA): The term 'local authority' refers to the local council for each area, which could be a town, city or county (e.g., Birmingham City Council, The London Borough of Brent, Kent County Council). Each local authority usually has their own fostering service that recruits, assesses, and supports foster carers within that area. Some local authorities have formed clusters and set up regional recruitment hubs to increase support to prospective foster carers. Local authorities who are responsible for children who need foster carers will usually check if there is a suitable foster carer (or 'match') within their own pool of approved foster carers, so that the child can continue to live in the same area.
- Independent Fostering Agency (IFA): Independent fostering agencies recruit, assess, and support foster carers in a similar way to local authorities, but are run by charities or private companies instead of local councils. They are sometimes set up with a specific remit or purpose (for example, to find foster carers for sibling groups, teenagers or children with a disability, or to provide specialist types of placement, e.g., short breaks). Independent fostering agencies can provide fostering arrangements for children on behalf of local authorities who are unable to find a suitable 'match' from their own pool of foster carers.
Just a note - the process of becoming a connected person/family and friends or kinship foster carer is slightly different.
