A foster family together in a kitchen. A woman is washing up with her back to teh camera. An older man is drying a mug with a tea towel while smiling at a boy in his mid-teens standing next to him.

Fostering with faith

Not every child has a loving stable home. When life gets tough or unsafe at home, some children need adults to care for them, helping them find hope and build a better future. By becoming a foster carer you could do this, making a lasting difference in their life.

We’ve been supporting children for over 150 years and believe in the power of hope and community to change childhoods and change lives. Our values have always guided us, and yours might steer you in a similar direction. If you'd like to help make a child feel safer, happier, healthier and more hopeful we'd love to talk to you.

Interested in finding out more about fostering?

Set up your no-pressure chat with our friendly team

Why you could be a great foster carer

Across many faiths and traditions, there’s a shared belief in kindness, hospitality, and caring for those in need of extra help. Opening your home to a child who needs a place to feel they belong is a way of living those values.

The most important qualities you need as a foster carer are to be caring, patient and understanding so the children you look after can live in a positive and loving environment. If you are guided by faith, fostering offers a way of putting your values of kindness and compassion into action.

Whether you're single or married, young or older, with or without children of your own, rent your home or have pets, if you have space in your heart and home, you could foster and make a life-changing difference.

“We’ve found it extremely rewarding.”

For Jonathan and Sarah, who’ve been fostering with Barnardo’s since 2022, the biggest challenge, and most rewarding milestone, came when they opened their home to three siblings, which meant the brothers and sisters could stay together. “We went into it knowing there would be hard times,” they recall, “but we have found it extremely rewarding.” 

The couple found their church community became an extended village of support. With the permission of their birth family the children attended youth groups and Sunday services, where they were warmly welcomed. “We thought we have all this love to give and there are children out there through no fault of their own that need help, that need a loving family to protect them and look out for them.

“And the more we thought about children needing help spurred us on to make that initial enquiry to find out more, and through that initial enquiry we started our fostering journey.”
A woman sitting on a living room floor leans smiling into a child who is drawing and with a cuddly toy dog on their lap.

Want to have a no-pressure chat about fostering?

Set up a call with our friendly team

Want to know more about fostering? 

A foster Dad sits next to a boy in his early teens. They are at a table smiling and working on some homework together.

Let's talk fostering

We've been working to change childhoods and change lives for over 150 years. So whatever questions you have about fostering we'll be right here to support you every step of the way.

A couple smile in a selfie. They're sitting at a table in a restaurant. Food is on the table next to them.

Hear real stories from real foster carers

Our foster carers are ordinary people making an extraordinary difference in children’s lives, and they’d love to share their stories with you.

A child with shoulder length blonde hair in their mid teams sits on a sofa smiling. Next to them is a woman with long dark hair wearing a Barnardo's lanyard. The woman is looking at the teen affectionally.

How we'll support you

To support a foster child, you need to feel supported too. With our round-the-clock helpline, a dedicated support worker, training, financial support and incredible community of foster carers there's lots of reasons to choose to foster with us.
 

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