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What is Fostering?
Fostering is about opening your heart and your home to a child or young person who needs a safe and caring place to grow. It is about creating a space where they feel welcomed, supported and loved.
When a child arrives in foster care, they often carry a lot of uncertainty with them. They may have experienced change and upheaval, and the world around them can feel unfamiliar. Walking into a foster home can be the first step toward feeling safe again. It can be the beginning of a chapter filled with kindness, laughter and hope.
Fostering can look different for every child. Sometimes it means offering a temporary home while plans are made for their future. Sometimes it means becoming a steady presence for a longer journey as they grow and find their own path. It can also involve providing extra support for children with additional needs or creating a nurturing space where a parent and child can stay together as they receive help.
Parent and child fostering is a beautiful example of how fostering can build stronger families. A mum and baby can live together in a foster home, surrounded by care and encouragement, giving them both a better chance to thrive.
While legal responsibility usually remains with the local authority, it is the foster carer who is there in the everyday moments. They are the ones making breakfast in the morning, celebrating birthdays, listening to worries, cheering on small victories and helping children believe in themselves again.
Fostering is not just about a roof over someone’s head. It is about belonging. It is about hope. It is about watching a young person grow stronger and knowing your home played a part in their journey. It is a way of changing lives in the most meaningful and joyful way.