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 and young people are in need of fostering in Northamptonshire and the surrounding area. Emergency, short term and long term placements are available. Join for free professional training, 24/7 support and peer support.
If you’re considering becoming a foster carer, 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 – meaning you have the support of a team close to you.
One of the most established fostering agencies in Northamptonshire, we work with local authorities to place children and young people in homes where they can thrive.
As a foster carer with us, you’ll have unparalleled access to professional support and excellent free training in and around Northampton. We want you to thrive too, being the best you can be in your role as foster carer.
On top of this, carers who are fostering in Northamptonshire have a large and active peer network that includes more than a dozen local support groups.
Alliance is seeking kind-hearted people to become foster carers in Northamptonshire. It’s a small and busy family-orientated agency that places emphasis on helping foster children reach their full potential with a range of services and types of support. With a main office in Northampton, it has an active events calendar including weekly coffee mornings, a Youth Council and seasonal celebrations.
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 Northamptonshire, 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.
The most important element of support for me is having someone I know, and who knows the child, at the end of the phone at any time of day, even if it is Christmas morning. They couldn’t do more, they offer me everything I look for in an agency. Their support is second to none.
If you think you’d like to become a foster carer in Northamptonshire, 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 Northamptonshire and the surrounding area. 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.
Dozens of children and young people are in foster care or awaiting a foster parent in Northamptonshire. National Fostering Group has local offices across the East Midlands and West Midlands including Peterborough, Luton, Milton Keynes, Bedford and across Northamptonshire.
We know the level of support we gives makes a huge difference. For instance, Mr & Mrs W were anxious about looking after a sibling group of 4 children, as they were all very close in ages and they knew from training, as well as personal experience, they would have very different and individual needs.
However after discussing the referral with the referrals manager and myself, and getting further information about the children’s backgrounds, they felt that they were ready to offer the children a home full of love and nurture.
By involving the whole team around the children, the foster carers were provided with the support and guidance that they needed to meet the needs of the children and enable them to remain together.
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 4,070 children live with a foster family in the East Midlands. There are approximately 45,370 fostering households and 76,640 foster carers in England.
Sources: Department for Education, Ofsted
