Worcestershire Fostering is part of Worcestershire County Council and is the Local Authority fostering service.

When any child in Worcestershire needs to come into foster carer, it is Worcestershire County Council that makes those arrangements.

Our first priority is always to match children with a Worcestershire Fostering carer. If we do not have a suitable foster carer, then we will approach an Independent Fostering Agency (IFA). 

Who should you foster for?

If you’re looking to become a foster carer, you might have looked at some Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs).

Choosing who to foster with is an important decision. Here are some key differences between fostering with the Local Authority and fostering with an IFA - to help you understand your options.

Not-for-profit and child focused:

• Worcestershire Fostering is a not-for-profit local authority service
• our priority is children’s wellbeing, not profit
• IFAs can be not-for-profit or profit-making, and it isn’t always clear which model they follow

We know our children best:

• as the local authority, our teams work closely with Worcestershire’s children and young people every day
• we understand their histories, their families, their schools and their individual needs

Fostering babies and younger children:

• babies and younger children are generally easier to find foster carers for
• in most cases, when a younger child needs a foster home, we are able to place them with a Worcestershire Fostering carer
• if you are hoping to foster a younger age range only, you may wait significantly longer for a child to be with you if you choose to foster with an IFA

Keeping children local:

• we aim to keep children close to their home communities, schools, friends and family wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so
• IFAs often work nationally, which can mean children may come from outside of Worcestershire - far from their home and familiar support networks

Less disruption, less travel:

• fostering a local child reduces long journeys to school and family time, helping children settle and reducing stress for carers
• with an IFA, children are more likely to be from anywhere in the country, meaning foster carers can face long-distance travel for school and family time.

A strong local fostering community:

• Worcestershire Fostering carers are part of a supportive local community, with regular support groups in Kidderminster, Evesham, Malvern, Worcester and Redditch
• carers who have transferred from IFAs often tell us they felt isolated, with fewer opportunities to connect with other carers nearby

Ongoing support all year round:

• while some IFAs focus on large annual events, carers tell us they value regular, local support and relationships more
• we focus on consistent support, training and connection throughout the year, delivered by teams who know you - and know the children you are caring for

"We had more power to model and articulate the rules and values of our home better than our parents. Stuff like shoes off upstairs, sitting at the tables for meals, which words we use and which we don’t etc. If our parents listed a load of rules it wouldn’t go down very well but we were better icebreakers." - CP, 16 Birth Child in fostering family 

"I could show them stuff and help them play. They trusted me first because I am a child like them. It helped when they were scared and unsure when they first arrived." - JP, 14 Birth Child in Fostering Family 

"I went to bed and there were three children in the house – me and C and J. When I woke up there were two more. They came in the middle of the night and they were playing with my toys when I came downstairs. They only stayed for the weekend, but It was exciting. I don’t think they had toys like mine at their house." - IP, 6 Adopted Child in fostering family