Is it time to transfer?

Fostering involves working as part of a team. If you’re feeling alone in your fostering situation or not listened to, or if you don’t feel like you’re included in decisions concerning the young person’s care, then it might be time for you to consider transferring.

We believe that it’s important to empower our foster carers and work collaboratively with you and involve you in decision-making to ensure you have the necessary resources and skills to meet the needs of the children and young people you care for. We believe what sets Action for Children Fostering apart most from other agencies is the way we work together with our carers, young people and other professionals. We promote positive working relationships and good connections between everyone. Relationships are built on clear, honest and respectful communication which our carers tell us is often the key to success. We promise a safe, welcoming and inclusive service, which will value, respect and listen to you regardless of your sexual orientation, race, gender, gender identity, disability, age, religion or belief or community background.

You should be able to count on the support of your agency, whenever you need it. Sometimes foster carers face challenging situations at unpredictable times. If you don’t currently know that there is a comforting, experienced voice at the end of the phone who will drop everything immediately if you need them, then it might be time for you to consider transferring.

We believe the support we give to our foster carers is second to none 24/7, all year round.

Once you’re an approved foster carer with Action for Children Fostering you’ll be allocated to a local fostering team. You’ll have a dedicated social worker with small case loads and around the clock support. Our small caseloads allow our fostering social workers to give you the time, care and attention that you deserve. We have a wealth of experience, training and understanding behind us to be able to provide you with the best possible solution and support that is truly shaped around your life and your needs. We also offer a buddy system if you feel this would be useful for you. Find out more about our support.

For many foster carers fostering is their only source of income. Fostering is a huge commitment and a full-time role. Foster carers are skilled and professional individuals who deserve to feel valued and not have to worry about the cost of caring for a young person. If you’re feeling undervalued or not respected or are not receiving an adequate financial package, then it might be time for you to consider transferring. Find out more about our payments.

We recognise that being a foster carer is a huge commitment. It’s a vocation and a role beyond the 9-5. It’s life-changing and life-enhancing. We value our foster carers and look after them so that they can look after the children who need them. We want you to know that you can afford to care for a child. Action for Children Fostering provides carers with a generous weekly fee and an allowance for the young person they are looking after.

Foster carers should feel confident that they are fully skilled to ensure they can meet the needs of the young person they are caring for. Sometimes the young people have complex needs that require an extra level of training. If your current fostering agency does not discuss and meet your training needs with you, then it might be time for you to consider transferring.

Action for Children Fostering is very proud of the extensive and personalised training that we offer our foster carers. We’ll assess what training you’ve done and what additional training we can give you and we'll create an annual training plan with you. Some training sessions are mandatory and others are voluntary. You will have access to all the sessions we offer. Find out more about our training.

“The training was excellent and really helped. After we got approved, we attended a support group once a month - it was invaluable. The best thing is that the social worker is always at the other end of the phone. Action for Children Fostering is like a big family; we know all of them and they know all of us.”

Action for Children foster carer

Your situation may change and the current type of fostering that you do no longer works for your circumstances. Not all fostering services offer all types of foster care opportunities and if your current service does not offer what you’d prefer to do, then it might be time to consider transferring.

Action for Children Fostering offers the opportunity for carers to look after children and young people in a variety of situations. This can be on a long or short-term basis, as well as emergency, parent and child and planned breaks fostering. We can discuss the best options for you. Find out more about the different types of fostering.

It’s really important for foster carers to look after and consider their own wellbeing. Many have suffered burnout due to the emotional and practical demands of fostering. Many fostering services offer some form of respite care for their foster carers but if yours doesn’t offer this, then it may be time for you to consider transferring.

Action for Children Fostering aims to provide planned breaks for our foster carers to give them a well deserved rest. We’re always at the other end of the phone to support and care for our foster carers who have taken on such an amazing role to help vulnerable young people.

Your priorities may have changed. When you first started fostering you may not have been aware of the different types of fostering service available in the UK. You may be looking for security in a fostering service that has been in existence for many years, or you may be looking for a not-for-profit agency, or perhaps you’d prefer to foster through a charity. If your current fostering service doesn’t meet these new priorities of yours, then it may be time for you to consider transferring.

Action For Children is a charity and does not profit from fostering. Our organisation has been in existence for over 150 years. We have dedicated teams, over 7,000 staff and volunteers and a wealth of professional experience and resources to support our foster carers. This additional support may be just what you’re looking for to make a greater impact on the lives of children and young people. We offer an approach that above all is child-centred and focuses on offering stable and safe fostering homes that will enhance a child’s life chances. Our foster carers are instrumental to the success of our fostering service and they help to transform young lives for the better.