What do foster carers do?

Becoming a foster carer– one of the most rewarding roles in the world

Foster carers play an extraordinary role in the lives of children and young people—offering safety, care, and the chance to grow in a stable and loving environment. By supporting some of the most vulnerable children in our communities, foster carers truly change lives for the better.

Fostering requires time, patience, energy, and a genuine commitment to helping children thrive. It’s a role filled with emotional rewards, personal growth, and the deep satisfaction that comes from making a real difference.

What’s Involved in Fostering?

When you welcome a foster child into your home, you’re not just providing a place to stay—you’re giving them the care, encouragement, and support they need to feel safe and succeed. You’ll be supported every step of the way by our experienced team, training programme, and peer network.

Here’s what being a foster carer typically involves:

Providing day-to-day care: Preparing meals, helping with personal hygiene, establishing routines, and ensuring plenty of rest—all the essentials that make a child feel secure and valued.
Supporting their education: Taking them to nursery, school, or college, attending meetings, helping with homework, and encouraging a positive attitude toward learning.
Boosting confidence and self-esteem: Encouraging participation in hobbies and interests—whether it’s football, drama, cooking, music, or art—to help them discover their talents and build self-worth.
Caring for their health: Taking them to medical appointments, monitoring wellbeing, and supporting any health-related needs.
Continual development: Attending our free training courses covering everything from Therapeutic Parenting and First Aid to Online Safety, Sleep, and Safeguarding—ensuring you feel confident and equipped for every aspect of the role.
Maintaining important connections: Supporting safe and appropriate contact with birth family members, where it’s in the child’s best interest.
Celebrating life’s moments: Making birthdays, Christmas, and other milestones feel special and meaningful.
Encouraging independence: Giving age-appropriate pocket money, teaching life skills, and helping children develop confidence and responsibility.
Creating joyful memories: Taking children on holidays and days out to build happy, lasting memories (with our support where needed).

“The easiest way to describe what we do is to say what we don’t do. I’m essentially parenting really vulnerable children—supporting them in school, ensuring they get the right help, driving them to family time, and doing the little things like brushing teeth or bedtime stories. It’s full-on, but it’s the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done.