The Year You Start Fostering?

Posted 14 January 2025

Footprints Foster Care - The Year You Start Fostering?

Happy New Year! We hope it’s got off to a good start for you, but however 2025 has gone so far, there’s a whole year of potential ahead. Will you make the most of it?

Maybe you started strong with a few new year’s resolutions, but they haven’t made it this far. If you did, you’re not alone. The social media network-cum-online activity tracking company, Strava has officially named the second Friday in January as Quitter’s Day, aka the day most of us will have given up on our resolutions by. This year, that was last week. So, if your goals are toast, don’t stress -there are plenty of other slices keeping you company in that loaf of bread.

But like we said, there’s a whole year ahead to have a blast, make a change and live your best life. So, whether your resolutions are still going strong or not, the possibilities are endless. Any day can be a great day to start something. Like your fostering journey. Perhaps you’ve been thinking about being a foster carer for a while, but never got round to applying or perhaps your circumstances are finally right? Perhaps you hadn’t even considered it until you read this blog? Whatever your individual situation, could 2025 be the year you change your life AND the lives of some amazing children? Could 2025 be the year you start fostering?

A recent report from Ofsted revealed that last year 4,055 fostering households were approved, but there was still a net decrease of 765. This continues a sad trend over the past few years and highlights the need for carers now more than ever. There could definitely be room for you in our Footprints family!

So, why foster? The chance to have a genuinely rewarding career and make a lasting difference in the lives of vulnerable children and support your community. Oh and you get to be supported by lovely professionals like us, plus receive a generous fostering allowance which will usually be tax-free.

If you’d like more of a flavour of fostering before taking the plunge, we’ve put together these FAQs:

Who Can Foster? Carers come from all walks of life, all you need to be considered is to be over 21, be in good health, be able to provide stability and care and have a spare bedroom. You’ll also need to be able to pass an enhanced DBS check.

What Types of Fostering Are There? Not just one! We offer a range of fostering opportunities including short and long term, parent and child, solo, sibling and respite. The latter of which is perfect if you can’t commit to a full time placement and would rather be flexible.

How Much Is the Allowance? The minimum amount set by the government in England ranges from £137 to £200 per week per child, depending on their needs. However, as an independent agency, we are able to offer more than local authorities – up to £500 per child.

What Does the Application Process Look Like? The process can be broken down into four stages – initial contact and a home visit, an assessment taking place over 3-6 months, training and finally the fostering panel. Throughout the whole process you will be under no pressure to continue, in fact we’d like you to be honest if you’ve changed your mind. Equally, we’ll be kind and honest if we feel fostering isn’t in your best interest.

For any other information, or to make that initial step, please do contact us – we’d love to hear from you and see about welcoming you into our fantastic family. Will 2025 be the year you make a real change and start fostering?

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Contact Us

Footprints Foster Care Ltd
Registered Company No 07879639

Longham Business Park
168 Ringwood Road
Ferndown
Dorset BH22 9BU

T: 01202 573408
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