Register to find out more or to apply to become a Foster carer

Get fostering right first time

Foster children

The next steps

Family Services will contact member Agencies with vacancies for Foster carers in your area.

You will receive contact from the Fostering Agencies shortly.

Why register?

About 15% of foster carers give up fostering or transfer between Fostering Agencies every year. Give yourself the best chance to get it right first time by registering with Family Services.

The Government, national fostering institutions and foster care research strongly recommend that people contact more than one Foster care agency'. Family Services will do this for you.

Children of all ages (0-18 years of age) and from various cultural and social backgrounds need to be placed in foster care for many different reasons.

Children's circumstances will vary dependent on their individual needs and family background. Whatever the circumstances all of the children will be separated from their parents and will need foster carers to help them at a difficult time. The children who are placed with foster carers come from many social, ethnic and religious backgrounds. They may have experienced a variety of problems in their life.

Many will be deeply upset about being away from their families and may be "difficult" to care for when they first come in to foster care. However, this does not mean that all children in foster care are "problem children" and many, given sufficient time to settle, are likely to be as "difficult" as any other child.

Some of the children placed with foster carers, because of their history, will have more problems than most and will offer a considerable challenge to their foster carers. This does not mean that they should not be placed with foster carers as this may still be seen as being in their best interests.

In some cases children will be identified as needing a specialist foster care placement when their needs are great and where they will place great demands upon those who care for them.

Confidentiality

Your personal information is not used for any other purpose other than to answer your questions and if appropriate to be passed on to Fostering Agencies who are registered with Family Services and who have vacancies for Foster carers in your area.