Fostering in Northumberland

For children entering care, remaining close to familiar places, schools and support networks can make a significant difference. Foster carers help provide continuity during times of change, offering children the opportunity to build positive relationships and develop confidence in a secure family setting.

Action for Children Fostering is looking for foster carers throughout Northumberland who can offer understanding, patience and a welcoming home. Whether you live in a market town, coastal community, rural village or larger urban area, your support could help transform the life of a local child.

You don't need previous fostering experience to make a difference. We'll provide all the guidance, training and support you need to help you become a successful foster carer.

If you have a spare room and a genuine commitment to supporting children, fostering could be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.

We recognise the important role foster carers play in supporting children and young people, which is why we provide fostering payments designed to help you focus on caring.

Payments are made up of a fostering allowance and a fostering fee. The allowance helps cover the everyday costs of caring for a child, including food, clothing, travel and activities. The fee recognises your commitment, training and the valuable contribution you make as a foster carer.

The amount you receive will depend on the type of fostering you provide and the individual needs of the child placed with you. In addition, extra support may be available for things such as educational activities, special occasions and other experiences that help children enjoy a positive childhood.

Our aim is to ensure that foster carers have the financial support needed to provide children with safe, stable and nurturing homes.

By helping with the practical costs of caring, we enable foster carers to focus on building strong relationships and creating opportunities for children to thrive.

When you foster with Action for Children Fostering, you're joining a supportive community that understands the challenges and rewards of fostering.

Every foster carer is assigned a dedicated supervising social worker who will provide guidance, practical advice and regular supervision throughout their fostering journey. We take time to build strong relationships with our carers so that support is always personal, responsive and tailored to individual needs.

Alongside professional support, you'll also have the opportunity to connect with other foster carers through support groups and networking opportunities.

Support available includes:

• A dedicated supervising social worker
• Regular supervision and support visits
• Foster carer support groups
• Peer support from other fostering households
• Access to specialist advice and services
• Out-of-hours support whenever required

Many foster carers find that speaking with others who understand the realities of fostering provides valuable encouragement and reassurance.

We're committed to ensuring foster carers throughout Northumberland feel well supported, informed and confident in their role.

Children in care often need carers who can understand their experiences and respond with patience, empathy and confidence. That's why we provide a comprehensive training programme designed to support foster carers from day one.

All training is provided free of charge and starts before you become an approved foster carer. Learning continues throughout your fostering career, allowing you to develop new skills and build on your experience.

Skills to Foster

This introductory programme helps prospective carers understand the fostering role, children's needs, safeguarding responsibilities and the importance of working alongside other professionals who support children.

Therapeutic Parenting

Many children entering care have experienced trauma, loss or instability. Therapeutic parenting training helps carers understand the impact of these experiences and develop supportive approaches that build trust and emotional security.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding training covers child protection, online safety, health and wellbeing, risk awareness and understanding the challenges children and young people may face.

Continued Professional Development

As your fostering journey progresses, you'll have access to additional training opportunities that help you develop specialist skills and respond confidently to a range of situations.

Our training programme is designed to help foster carers provide safe, supportive and nurturing homes where children can flourish.

People often assume they wouldn't be suitable to foster, but foster carers come from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and family situations.

In most cases, if you're over 21, have a spare bedroom and have the right to live and work in the UK, there's a good chance you could foster.

We welcome applications from:

• Single people
• Couples and partners
• Parents and non-parents
• 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 profile of a foster carer. Children benefit from different types of homes, personalities and experiences, which is why diversity is so important within fostering.

The qualities we look for are compassion, patience, resilience and a genuine desire to help children feel safe and supported.

By becoming a foster carer in Northumberland, you could provide a child with the stability, care and encouragement they need to build confidence and create a brighter future.

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