Fostering

Fostering through your council, training, standards, fostering agencies, data collection forms, 'staying put' arrangements.

  1. Apply to foster a child through your council

    Apply to foster a child through the social services department of your local council

  2. Children Act 1989: fostering services

    Volume 4: statutory guidance on fostering services for looked-after children.

  3. Children Act 1989: private fostering

    Statutory guidance for local authorities on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of privately fostered children.

  4. Delegation of authority to carers: developing your local policy

    Guidance for local authorities who are aiming to develop or improve their local delegated authority policy.

  5. Foster carers

    Foster carers look after children when their parents aren't able to - becoming a foster carer, money and support available, fostering agencies

  6. Foster Carers' Charter

    This charter sets out shared principles for foster carers, local authorities and fostering services, and aims to attract more foster parents.

  7. Foster Carers' Charter: putting it into practice

    This document includes advice on how to put the charter into practice and some ideas for discussion when developing local charters.

  8. Fostering services: assessment and approval of foster carers

    Statutory guidance for local authorities on the assessment and approval process of foster carers for looked-after children.

  9. Fostering services: national minimum standards

    Guidance for local authorities on the national minimum standards for providing fostering services.

  10. Independent fostering agencies: inspection documents

    For inspection from 1 April 2017. Letter of notice for independent fostering agencies inspections.

  11. Independent fostering agency: do you need to register?

    What you need to know about registering with Ofsted if you want to open or manage an independent fostering agency.

  12. Independent reviewing officers' handbook: young people's guide

    A guide to help young people living in children’s homes or foster care understand the 'Independent reviewing officers handbook'.

  13. Looking after someone else's child

    Support and benefits you can get if you're looking after someone else's child, court orders - kinship care, private fostering, friends and family care

  14. National minimum standards for private fostering

    Statutory guidance for local authorities on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of privately fostered children.

  15. Ofsted annual fostering data collection: 2015 to 2016 form

    Ofsted collects fostering data annually from local authorities and independent fostering agencies in England.

  16. Ofsted annual fostering data collection: 2016 to 2017 form

    This is the 2016 to 2017 data collection form. Response required by 30 June 2017.

  17. Placement of looked-after children in EU member states

    Guidance for local authorities asked to place a child from EU member states into a children's home or with a foster carer.

  18. Social care common inspection framework (SCCIF): independent fostering agencies

    Guidance about how independent fostering agencies are inspected.

  19. Staying put: arrangements for care leavers aged 18 years and above

    This guidance outlines 'staying put' arrangements that enable care leavers to remain with their former foster carers after they turn 18.