Fostering in Gateshead

Children who enter care often face significant changes in their lives. Foster carers provide the consistency and reassurance that help children manage these challenges, develop resilience and build positive relationships. A supportive foster home can have a lasting impact on a young person's wellbeing, confidence and future opportunities.

At Action for Children Fostering, we're looking for people throughout Gateshead who are willing to make a difference to a child's life. Whether you live in a busy neighbourhood, a suburban community or a surrounding village, your support could help a local child remain close to their community and support networks.

You don't need previous experience of fostering to get started. What matters most is your ability to provide patience, encouragement and a safe place where a child can feel valued and supported.

If you have a spare room and the commitment to help a young person thrive, fostering could be the opportunity you've been looking for.

We understand that fostering requires dedication, flexibility and commitment. That's why we provide financial support to help foster carers focus on providing the best possible care for children and young people.

Our fostering payments include both an allowance and a fee. The allowance helps cover the everyday costs of caring for a child, including food, clothing, travel, leisure activities and other day-to-day expenses. The fee recognises the important role foster carers play and the responsibility involved in supporting children in care.

The payments available will differ depending on the type of fostering you undertake and the individual needs of the child placed with you. Additional financial support may also be available for educational opportunities, family holidays, birthdays and other significant events that contribute to a child's development.

Our goal is to ensure foster carers have the practical support they need to provide safe, stable and nurturing homes.

By helping with the financial aspects of fostering, we enable carers to concentrate on building strong relationships and creating positive experiences for children.

Fostering should never be a journey you take alone. At Action for Children Fostering, we provide a range of support services designed to help foster carers feel confident, connected and well supported.

Every foster carer is matched with a dedicated supervising social worker who will provide ongoing guidance, supervision and practical advice throughout their fostering journey. We believe in developing strong partnerships with our carers and ensuring support is available whenever it is needed.

Alongside professional guidance, foster carers also have access to opportunities to connect with others who understand the rewards and challenges of fostering.

Our support includes:

• Dedicated supervision from an experienced social worker
• Regular foster carer reviews and support visits
• Foster carer support groups
• Opportunities to learn from and connect with other carers
• Access to specialist services and professional advice
• Out-of-hours support for emergencies and urgent situations

Many carers tell us that peer support becomes one of the most valuable aspects of fostering. Being able to talk with others who have shared similar experiences can provide reassurance, encouragement and practical insight.

We're committed to ensuring every foster carer feels supported, valued and equipped to provide excellent care.

We believe great foster care starts with excellent preparation and ongoing learning. That's why we provide comprehensive training designed to help foster carers feel confident in their role and ready to meet the needs of children and young people.

All training is free of charge and begins before you become an approved foster carer. Learning continues throughout your fostering journey, helping you expand your knowledge and develop new skills.

Skills to Foster

This introductory programme provides a solid foundation for fostering. It covers child development, attachment, communication, safeguarding and the responsibilities involved in supporting children and young people in care.

Therapeutic Parenting

Many children in care have experienced trauma, loss or disruption. Therapeutic parenting training helps foster carers understand these experiences and develop supportive approaches that promote emotional wellbeing and stronger relationships.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding training focuses on child protection, health and wellbeing, online safety and understanding the risks that children and young people may face in today's world.

Continued Professional Development

As your confidence and experience grow, you'll have access to a wide range of additional training opportunities that help you develop specialist skills and respond effectively to different fostering situations.

Our training programme is designed to help foster carers provide children with the stability, understanding and support they need to thrive.

Many people are surprised to learn that fostering is open to individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and circumstances.

If you're over 21, have a spare bedroom and have the right to live and work in the UK, you could be eligible to become a foster carer.

We welcome enquiries from:

• Single people
• Married couples and partners
• Parents and people without children
• Homeowners and tenants
• Working professionals
• Retired people
• People from all cultural, ethnic and faith backgrounds
• Members of the LGBTQ+ community
• People living with disabilities

There is no single type of person who becomes a successful foster carer. Children need different types of homes, personalities and experiences that reflect the diversity of the communities they come from.

The qualities we look for most are patience, compassion, resilience and a willingness to help children overcome challenges and reach their potential.

By fostering in Gateshead, you could provide a child with the security, encouragement and opportunities they need to build confidence and create a brighter future.

Contact our Gateshead fostering team today to find out more about becoming a foster carer and how we can support you throughout your fostering journey.