England
Action for Children Fostering England is based across the country and has a wealth of experience in caring for vulnerable young people and supporting the foster carers who look after them.
Get in touchFind out more about the fostering services that we offer in England.
Free Guide to fostering
Why not download our completely free, information- packed guide to fostering?
It covers topics such as types of foster care, who can foster, the fostering process, our fees and allowances and much more.
Select your region for more information on your local service and to read our Statement of Purpose:
As a foster carer for Action for Children Fostering England, you'll receive tailored support all year round to care for a child or young person.
Our fostering agency in England offers all our foster carers and their families access to a team of clinical psychologists should they need this support.
We also provide a 24-hour, year round phone line that gives our foster carers direct contact with a professional social worker. We want our foster carers to know that they can rely on us for support. We hold monthly supervisions and put our foster carers in touch with a buddy local to them so that they always have support, someone to talk to, and can ask for advice when needed.
As a foster carer for Action for Children Fostering England you’ll receive professional support, training, and guidance throughout your fostering journey with us. We take care of you so that you can take care of your young person.
Our agency aims to provide the highest level of training to our foster carers to effectively manage any challenging situation that may arise.
An annual training plan will be developed by our dedicated social workers alongside their foster carers ensuring everyone is listened to and all training needs are met.
All our foster carers in England are trained in attachment and developmental trauma and therapeutic parenting approaches following our unique therapeutic framework (HOMES).
The Action for Children Fostering England "HOMES" framework aims to build supportive homes for children and young people who have experienced trauma and loss by providing therapeutic training to our foster carers.
Our fostering HOMES framework in England aims to build supportive homes for children who have experienced trauma and loss.
The HOMES framework is unique to Action for Children Fostering England and was developed in conjunction with a team of clinical psychologists at Changing Minds. Our overarching emphasis is to make sure that we are there for each other. We aim to develop trusting, compassionate relationships and provide a high level of attuned, sensitive recommendations to support the HOMES process. One of the core principles of the framework is that foster carers, alongside the young person, are at the centre of everything we do.
Almost anyone can foster. Find out more about who can foster with Action for Children Fostering England.
Action for Children foster carers come from all walks of life.
A wide range of foster carers will give us more choice to better match with the diverse range of children and young people who need a safe and loving home.
We’re looking for caring people who can give a child in need their time, attention, affection and a safe, nurturing place to call home.
Action for Children Fostering England understand the vital role that children in the household of foster carers can play in the success of fostering.
Fostering can be a wonderful and rewarding experience for the whole family.
At Action for Children Fostering England we recognise that fostering not only affects the foster carers we approve but also has a significant impact on all household members and the wider family and friends network. We’re available to all family members for support and advice whenever you need us, 24/7 year-round.
Read more about our fostering fees and allowances.
Action for Children foster carers in England receive, on average, £555 per week in fees and allowances.
This depends on the type of foster care you provide, your location and the age and needs of the young person in your care.
As a foster carer in England you may be able to take on additional work outside of fostering, providing you can be available when your young person needs you.
Fees and allowances only apply for the times when you have a young person in your care. The fee part is for you, in recognition of the time, training and commitment that you put in to caring for a young person.
The allowances you receive are to cover your young person's toiletries, mobile phone, activities, travel, clothes and pocket money. In addition to this, Action for Children Fostering in England can provide extra support for holidays, birthdays and other special circumstances.
From your initial contact with Action for Children Fostering England, the process to become a foster carer can take 6-9 months depending on your individual circumstances.
Our aim is to assess everyone within a 4-6 month time frame.
Step 1- The initial visit
This is either a virtual meeting or a social worker will come to visit your home and lasts approximately two hours. It’s basically a chance to get to know each other better.
Step 2 - Application form
Once everyone is happy to continue onto the next step, we’ll send you an application form to complete and send back to us. It will ask you to provide personal information and further information about your circumstances.
Step 3 - The assessment
The assessment involves standard checks including a police DBS in England (Disclosure and Barring Service) and you will also need to have a medical.
Action for Children Fostering England will pay for the cost of your medical which you will arrange through your own GP.
Becoming a foster carer is a big decision and we're sure that you'll have lots of questions.
Answering the most important frequently asked fostering questions that you ask us.
We cover subjects like:
- Tax and National Insurance
- Pensions and benefits
- Working and fees
- About the children
Plus general answers to your most frequently asked questions.
If you cant find an answer to your specific question then "Let's Chat".
We recruit foster carers across four main locations and offer short break services
Social Worker
Service Name:
Fostering South East - London, Kent
Fostering Wessex - Hampshire, West Sussex, Dorset
Service Type: Fostering
Phone: 0845 200 5162 *
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @actionforchildrenfosteringengland
Instagram: @actionforchildren_fostering
*During busy periods we may not be able to answer your call immediately. Please do leave us a message, providing your email and telephone number, and one of our fostering team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Service Name: Fostering North East
Service Type: Fostering
Phone: 0845 200 5162 *
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @actionforchildrenfosteringengland
Instagram: @actionforchildren_fostering
*During busy periods we may not be able to answer your call immediately. Please do leave us a message, providing your email and telephone number, and one of our fostering team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Service Name: North West Fostering
Service Type: Fostering
Phone: 0845 200 5162 *
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @actionforchildrenfosteringengland
Instagram: @actionforchildren_fostering
*During busy periods we may not be able to answer your call immediately. Please do leave us a message, providing your email and telephone number, and one of our fostering team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Service Name:
Fostering South West
Fostering South West Peninsula and Short Breaks
Service Type: Fostering
Phone: 0845 200 5162 *
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @actionforchildrenfosteringengland
Instagram: @actionforchildren_fostering
*During busy periods we may not be able to answer your call immediately. Please do leave us a message, providing your email and telephone number, and one of our fostering team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Service Name: Family Breaks Devon
Service Type: Disability, Fostering, Early Years and Family Support
Phone: 01392 360865
Address: 8 Powderham House, Park 5, Harrier Way, Sowton, Exeter, Devon, EX2 7HU
Facebook: @actionforchildrenfosteringengland
Instagram: @actionforchildren_fostering
Contact information
Phone: 0845 200 5162 *
Email: [email protected] Facebook: @actionforchildrenfosteringengland Instagram: @actionforchildren_fostering
*During busy periods we may not be able to answer your call immediately. Please do leave us a message, providing your email and telephone number, and one of our fostering team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Start your fostering journey today
Get in touch