Foster children and young people need foster carers in Ipswich and throughout Suffolk. Become a foster carer with us and receive first class training, 24/7 support, peer support and a buddy scheme.
If you’re considering becoming a foster carer in Ipswich, choose a fostering agency with local teams who will be with you every step.
National Fostering Group is the largest independent fostering agency in the UK, with superb agency coverage across all regions, including East Anglia – meaning you have the support of a team close to you.
We are the leading fostering agency in your area, working with your local authority 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 free training in your local area. We want you to thrive too, being the best you can be in your role as foster carer.
In addition, as a foster carer with the leading fostering agencies in Ipswich and the UK, you’ll have access to a large and active peer network that includes several local support groups.
Our foster carers in Ipswich are supported by the team of fostering professionals at NFA East, based in Lowestoft, Suffolk. This team is one of our largest, covering a wide geographical area, yet has cultivated a fantastic family feel where foster carers, their families and foster children feel completely supported.
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 most foster carers in Ipswich, 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.
I have been fostering with National Fostering Group for nearly 5 years now. I must admit I was nervous when I took on my first young lad.
However I was really well supported in these first weeks with regular calls and visits offered. I have continued to be supported really well. My supervising social worker is always at hand, calls back quickly and is always supportive and very knowledgeable.
If you think you’d like to become a foster carer in Ipswich or another location in Suffolk, 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 Suffolk, including Ipswich. 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.
Hundreds of children are currently fostered or waiting to find foster parents in Suffolk and East Anglia. National Fostering Group has local offices across Suffolk. This includes Norwich, Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth, Bury St Edmunds and King’s Lynn.
When I first came here, it was different and my carers were different to what I had known. But from the moment I met them, I kind of knew this is where I would want to stay.
Our foster carers come from all walks of life. With training, support and a generous fostering allowance, they provide homes where children can thrive and experience the childhood they deserve. More than 9,000 new foster carers are needed UK-wide to provide homes for children in need of a foster family. If you’re thinking of becoming a foster carer, now’s the time.
Source: The Fostering Network
Around 4,800 children live with a foster family in the East of England. There are approximately 45,370 fostering households and 76,640 foster carers in England.
Sources: Department for Education, Ofsted