How we’ll support you when you foster with us

With our 24/7 helpline, dedicated social workers, expert training, generous financial support and an incredible community of foster carers there's lots of reasons to choose to foster with us. If you’re interested in fostering and think you’ve got some of the qualities you need, but are concerned that you’re not entirely prepared to handle everything that might come your way, don’t worry. We’ve got you. You don’t have to know all the answers, or handle things alone, we’ll be by your side every step of the way.

• Someone there for you round the clock. 
• Training. 
• Financial support. 
• Planned short breaks. 
• Helping you join a community of fellow foster carers. 
• Tailored support for LGBT+ parents. 
• Support when children move on. 

Someone there for you round-the-clock 

As a foster carer you’ll have a dedicated and qualified social worker whose job is to support you. You'll also have access to our 24-hour advice and support line and the confidence of knowing that you can talk to them confidentially. 

You'll benefit from specialist training 

When you begin your fostering journey, you’ll take part in our preparation course to help you develop skills you might need. The course explores all the benefits and challenges of fostering. It covers parenting skills you might need, as well as how to support those with childhood trauma, or who have experienced abuse or neglect. 

Once you welcome a child into your home, our support doesn’t stop there. Each year you'll have the chance to take part in further training helping you build your confidence and gain new skills. You’ll benefit from specialist training, making sure you and the children in your care are always receiving the support you need. 

Sometimes children who have had a lot of different people look after them, or have had difficult early life experiences, can find it hard to trust adults. That’s why we invest in additional training for our colleagues so they can use an approach called Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP).  to help you support the child or young person in your care. DDP involves working closely with parents and/or carers to help the child or young person feel more emotionally secure. The therapy helps them learn to trust again.   

We have over 150 years’ experience in changing childhoods and changing lives. We believe children and young people and families should feel safe, happy, healthy and hopeful - whatever their background or circumstances. We’d love to work with you and support you to help a child feel that way through fostering.  

You'll receive generous financial support  

We know that it’s not money that’s motivating you to become a foster carer, but at the same time you need reassurance that you won't face financial difficulties while you are fostering. 

All our carers receive generous financial support. This includes a taxable income as well as a weekly allowance to help with the cost of looking after your foster child. So, whether you’re doing the big shop, getting new school clothes or organising their birthday surprise, we’ll make sure you have the financial support to give your foster child the best care you can. Find out more about the financial support available to foster carers.

We offer planned short breaks 

Finding quality time can be difficult when taking care of a child. If you or the young person in your care need a few hours or days to recharge, or you’ve got a big commitment you’ve got to honour, we’ll provide other carers to look after your foster child. 

You'll be connected with a community of fellow foster carers 

When you start your training, you’ll get the chance to meet other foster carers as well as people who have been through the process and are happy to share their fostering journeys. This means you can learn from each other and build your support network.   

You can also attend support groups where you’ll get the opportunity to meet with other foster carers and social workers to discuss your fostering experiences. The support groups are attended by new and experienced foster carers, allowing everyone to benefit from each other’s help and expertise.  

We also organise family social events throughout the year so you and your foster children can spend time with other families in the same boat.  

As a Barnardo’s foster carer, you’ll also benefit from membership with the Fostering Network, a body which represents foster carers in the UK – influencing and shaping policies related to fostering. Membership will give you access to an informative website, regular newsletters and discounted training.  

There's tailored support for LGBT+ parents 

Barnardo’s is a member of New Family Social Network (NFS), the UK’s peer support network for foster carers and adopters who identify as LGBT+.  

When you foster through Barnardo’s, you become a member of the NFS network, which means you’ll have access to dedicated online forums and a wealth of events held across the country, some for all the family and some for parents only.  

You'll be supported when children move on 

We want the children and young people fostered through us to find long-term, loving homes they can thrive in. Sometimes this means them moving from being part of a foster family to being adopted by another. When this happens, children can experience feelings of loss and separation. To try and limit this we follow the University of East Anglia’s Moving to Adoption Process and place the child’s emotional needs at the centre of everything we do. We’ll also support you as their foster carers and the prospective adoptive parents. We understand that as much as you’ll be happy to see a child you’ve cared for move to a forever home, that it can be hard to see them leave and we’ll make sure you’re supported too. 

The perfect time to foster a child doesn't exist, but the right time is now. If you want to have a no-pressure chat with us to explore how fostering could be the right step for you we’d love to talk.