Ellie Simmonds – It’s Because of You!

National Fostering Group is proud to have partnered with Ellie Simmonds for a social media campaign to raise awareness of the ongoing need for foster carers.

Thursday 18 July 2024Carer Story
Ellie Simmonds - It's Because of You!
Read more

Thursday 18 July 2024Video
Ellie Simmonds - Watch the full video here
The team joined Ellie in London to talk about her experiences being fostered and adopted at an early age, and the positive impact growing up in a fostering family had on her.
Watch the video
Tuesday 10 September 2024Podcast
Our special episode with Ellie Simmonds
We take a deep dive into Ellie’s inspiring journey. From her early years in foster care to being adopted by her amazing parents who are foster carers, Ellie shares how these experiences shaped her extraordinary path to success.
Listen

Our latest inspiring videos

There is nothing more real then seeing our foster carers and their families.

Thursday 02 May 2024Video
Meet our NFA East Team
Introducing our wonderful team at NFA East!
Watch the video

Wednesday 24 April 2024Video
Meet our NFA Wales Team
We have agencies across the whole of the UK and in our latest video you can meet the wonderful team and fostering families at NFA Wales!
Watch the video
Monday 08 April 2024Video
Meet our NFA South East Team
"Fostering has really turned my life around. I have choices and opportunities and that's really exciting." Foster Child.
Watch the video
Monday 08 April 2024Video
Meet Our NFA South West Team
"The best thing about my foster nanny is that she will sing funny songs with me before bedtime."
Watch the video

Monday 08 April 2024Video
Meet our NFA North Team
"My foster carer always picks me up from school. She's always there for me and that means so much." That is what one foster child says in our latest agency video from NFA North.
Watch the video
Tuesday 02 April 2024Video
Meet NFA North West
Meet our agency NFA North West, our dedicated agency who committed to providing exceptional support to fostering families
Watch the video
Monday 12 February 2024Video
Meet Lorraine and Vicky - Family Placement
In this heartwarming video, we meet Lorraine and Vicky who are providing a long-term foster home with our agency Family Placement.
Watch the video
Wednesday 31 January 2024Video
NFA Midlands Carer Story - Alva
This is an incredible story of the love and happiness that both the foster carer and the foster child receive whilst fostering. They are a family and nothing would change that!
Watch the video
Wednesday 31 January 2024Video
Children First - Meet Susie and Dave
Meet Susie and Dave who foster with our agency Children First. Together they have been fostering for 18 months and in this video they bring to life the assessment process.
Watch the video
Monday 12 February 2024Video
NFA Scotland - Meet the Team
We are excited to introduce you to the dedicated team at NFA Scotland! In this video, you'll have the opportunity to meet our staff and foster carers.
Watch the video
Monday 12 February 2024Video
Meet NFA Midlands
Every day, 26 children enter care in the Midlands. If you reside in the Midlands area, we strongly encourage you to think about becoming a foster carer.
Watch the video

Latest

Here is some of our latest news and fostering family stories

Thursday 06 June 2024News and Blog
“I am who I am because I foster” - Sadia’s story
Read more

Friday 31 May 2024Carer Story
You’re Never Too Old to Foster - Carole and John’s Story
Carole and John are in their early 70s and, since 2011, they have been fostering. John said “There is no greater excitement than having a teenager living in your house. Technically, I suppose, we are old and should maybe be thinking about retirement but fostering enriches our lives, it keeps us active and alive.”
Read more
Friday 24 May 2024Carer Story
“It Enriched Our Children’s Lives” - Wendy and Richard’s Story
Wendy and husband, Richard have two birth children – a son and a daughter. They both love parenting and the idea of offering a home to a young person who’s not had the best start in life appealed to them
Read more
Tuesday 30 April 2024Carer Story
Why Corrina and Stuart Love Fostering Older Children
Corrina has worked with children since she was 17. Over time, as an early years teacher, she became increasingly aware of the huge gap between the haves and the have-nots and also of the difference it makes when children are nurtured.
Read more

Friday 15 March 2024Carer Story
You Can’t Fix It, You Just Have to Be There
Lacey and Danielle have a lot of love to give. They have no children of their own and had been talking about fostering for a few years before becoming foster carers.
Read more
Wednesday 24 April 2024Carer Story
Learning to Ride the Wave
A challenging childhood can sometimes be the catalyst that makes someone want to become a foster carer later in life. This was the case for Sarah, who has fostered with the National Fostering Group for just under three years.
Read more
Monday 11 March 2024Carer Story
Faces of Fostering: Rankin helps us celebrate foster carer diversity
Rankin has taken portraits of our foster carers to support our campaign to raise awareness of fostering as a career. Can you help a child in need?
Read more

Voices of Fostering Podcast

Everyone’s life takes a different path but let us take you on a journey of fostering. Hear authentic conversations from people that are part of real-life foster families and the people who form their fostering community. You can listen here.

Thursday 03 October 2024Podcast
May - The importance of mindfulness
For the past 15 years, May has been a dedicated foster carer with NFA Scotland, fulfilling a lifelong dream. She and her husband waited until their daughter turned 16 before taking the step into fostering, ensuring it was the right time for their family. The journey has been a rollercoaster, but one they wouldn’t trade for anything. May is a strong advocate for the practice of mindfulness among foster carers, emphasising its vital role in managing the unique challenges they face. In this episode, we explore the positive impact of mindfulness in fostering and how it has helped May and others.
Listen

Thursday 03 October 2024Podcast
Jayne and Ken - We have fostered for 19 years!
Jayne and Ken have been dedicated foster carers for 19 years, and their journey is nothing short of remarkable. In one of our most heartfelt episodes yet, they share stories of children once labelled by local authorities as "children from hell," some facing unimaginable medical challenges. Despite the odds, Jayne and Ken's unwavering support helped these children thrive, and today, many of them are adults raising families of their own.
Listen
Tuesday 10 September 2024Podcast
Our special episode with Ellie Simmonds
We take a deep dive into Ellie’s inspiring journey. From her early years in foster care to being adopted by her amazing parents who are foster carers, Ellie shares how these experiences shaped her extraordinary path to success.
Listen
Tuesday 10 September 2024Podcast
Phil - It is so important to improve their self esteem
Phil discusses the importance of boosting foster children's self-esteem and how one way he has managed to do this is through karate.
Listen

Tuesday 10 September 2024Podcast
Zak - We provide the best training for our foster carers
Zak, our Training Team Leader. Zak works with our current foster carers to provide them with top-notch training and equip them with essential skills.
Listen
Tuesday 10 September 2024Podcast
Nigel - As a blind foster carer, I am fully supported!
Nigel speaks about that experience, his highs and his lows and ultimately why he continues to foster!
Listen
Tuesday 10 September 2024Podcast
Hayley - The journey from adoption to fostering!
Hayley has been familiar with fostering since her teenage years, as her parents were both foster carers.
Listen
Tuesday 10 September 2024Podcast
Matt - My dad grow up in care in the 50s and now I foster!
Inspired by his father's experiences growing up in the care system during the 1950s, Matt pursued a career in the military before he and his wife embarked on their journey as foster carers.
Listen
Monday 01 July 2024Podcast
Andrew - I work and foster!
Listen

The fostering process

We know that as a foster carer you may have lots of questions, here we have created some blogs and case studies that will help with this.

Thursday 24 March 2016News and Blog
15 Steps in the Approval Process of Becoming a Foster Carer
Fostering requires the right kind of person. We need to know you have the right kind of skills, experience and knowledge to support a child or young person. In order for us to identify carers that are able to provide the necessary care, we have a thorough approval process that takes at least 6 months. We’ve identified 15 key steps in the foster care approval process that will take you from first enquiry to profile matching.
Read more

Tuesday 17 October 2017News and Blog
3 common fostering challenges and how to overcome them
Our current foster carers will be the first to tell you how rewarding it is - and how challenging. Read more about tackling these common issues. Don't forget, we're with you every step of the way, so if an issue is concerning you, get in touch with your Supervising Social Worker or local carers group.
Read more
Monday 26 June 2023News and Blog
Fostering with Dogs - Nicky's Story
Read more
Friday 05 February 2016News and Blog
Advice For Those New to Foster Caring
Becoming a foster carer is a big step to make. Although it can be extremely fulfilling, it can also be very daunting when starting out, especially if you don’t know what to expect. We have therefore pulled together our top 7 tips on what you need to know when you’re new to the foster carer process:
Read more

Tuesday 08 November 2016News and Blog
Common Foster Care Questions
We know that when it comes to taking the first step to becoming a foster carer, a lot of questions come with it. Below, we’ll answer some of the most common questions you might have to help you make the right decision for you.
Read more
Monday 12 December 2016News and Blog
Are foster carers employed or self-employed?
Foster carers are self-employed and can easily register with HMRC, file simple self-assessments, and are eligible for tax relief on certain earnings. The Qualifying Care Relief scheme, for example, means that payments up to a generous threshold are tax free for National Fostering Group foster carers. Find out more and how to register with HMRC.
Read more