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Fostering

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

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Services

  1. Foster carers

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

  2. 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

  3. Apply to foster a child through your council

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

  4. TSD standards workbook for foster carers

    Form for foster carers to prove they meet the required training, support and development (TSD) standards.

  5. Ofsted annual fostering data collection

    Guidance and a suggested template for local authorities and independent fostering agencies to use when sending fostering data to Ofsted.

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Guidance and regulation

  1. Fostering services: national minimum standards
    • Guidance
    • Department for Education
  2. Fostering services: assessment and approval of foster carers
    • Statutory guidance
    • Department for Education
  3. Children Act 1989: fostering services
    • Statutory guidance
    • Department for Education
  4. Social care common inspection framework (SCCIF): independent fostering agencies
    • Manual
    • Ofsted
  5. Children Act 1989: private fostering
    • Statutory guidance
    • Department for Education
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News and communications

News story

New support for foster families to overcome trauma

Department for Education

  1. Staying Put grant: determination letter
    • Department for Education
    • Correspondence
  2. Plans to help children in foster care experience loving and stable homes
    • Department for Education
    • News story
  3. Minister visits projects supporting children's services in Leeds
    • Department for Education
    • News story
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Research and statistics

  1. Fostering in England 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019
    • Ofsted
    • National statistics
  2. Children looked after in England including adoption: 2018 to 2019
    • Department for Education
    • National statistics
  3. Fostering in England 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018
    • Ofsted
    • National statistics
  4. Foster care in England
    • Department for Education
    • Independent report
  5. Social care questionnaires 2017: what children and young people told Ofsted
    • Ofsted
    • Research
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Policy papers and consultations

  1. Fostering better outcomes
    • Department for Education
    • Policy paper
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Organisations

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