Find out if you could be a foster carer
In a few simple questions, you’ll know if you’re suitable to apply to become a foster carer.
Children in Northern Ireland are seeking foster parents. We have opportunities for fostering in Belfast for experienced foster carers and also those who are new to fostering.
If you’re considering becoming a foster parent, choose a fostering agency with local teams to help you achieve your ambitions.
We are the largest independent fostering agency in the UK, with superb agency coverage across all areas – meaning you have the support of a team close to you.
One of the most established fostering agencies in Northern Ireland – known as Kindercare Fostering – we work with all five Trusts to place children and young people in homes where they can thrive.
As a foster carer for the National Fostering Group, you’ll have unparalleled access to professional support and excellent training in Belfast and across Northern Ireland.
On top of this, carers who are fostering in Belfast have a large and active peer network that includes several local support groups.
Foster carers in Northern Ireland are supported by the team at Kindercare Fostering NI, our agency that covers fostering in Belfast, Newtownabbey, Bangor, and Newtownards. We’ve built a reputation as a small team with a family ethos and who have shared vision and values. Our aim is to provide the highest quality care to our children and support to our foster carers, by providing a professional, supportive and engaged service.
Our average foster carer pay is around £24,500 a year (£2,040 on average per month), which is far higher than the government’s recommended weekly allowance. For foster care in Northern Ireland, this will be tax free! Some types of fostering placement pay more than £35,000 a year. Foster carer pay doesn’t affect state benefits you’re currently receiving.
It is an independent fostering agency with quite a small team. They are so supportive. When our first little guy left, well, nothing prepares you for that. They were great, they would phone up to see how we were doing. They really care about us as people and how we are feeling.
If you think you’d like to become a foster carer in Northern Ireland, your next step is to have a chat. You can book a call by using our enquiry form. After this, if you decide to go ahead with an application, this usually takes around 16 weeks and we’ll help you every step of the way. We’ll help you decide what types of fostering you want to do and we’ll even get you started with foster carer training.
We are looking for foster carers in Belfast, Newtownabbey, Bangor, and Newtownards. We welcome people from ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds, physical abilities and the LGBT+ community. You can be single, married, a homeowner or a tenant. Your ability to care for and nurture a child is what really matters. If you’ve worked in sectors like education, the emergency services, care or healthcare, you’ll be especially suited to this role.
Many children and young people are awaiting foster parents in Belfast and across Northern Ireland. National Fostering Group has local offices that support foster carers across Northern Ireland, including Lisburn, Derry, Bangor and Enniskillen.
The best part of my role is seeing the foster carers who, to begin with, may lack confidence or feel they are not doing things quite right, blossom into fostering experts. Seeing the bonds develop between the children and foster families makes everything we do, worth it.
