If you’re living with a foster family – or about to – this page is here to help you understand what that means and where to go if you need support.
You might have questions, feel unsure, or just want to know what to expect. That’s completely normal.
You’re not on your own – there are people around you whose job is to make sure you feel safe, supported and listened to
We’ve created guides to help you understand everything in a clear and simple way.
If you need these guides in a different format or language, just speak to your Supervising Social Worker.
A guide designed to explain fostering in a way that’s easy to understand.
Foster care is when children and young people live with a different family for a while if they can’t live with their own.
This can be for different reasons, and for different lengths of time — sometimes just a short stay, sometimes longer.
The most important thing is that you are safe, supported, and cared for.
Foster carers are people who look after children and young people in their own home.
They could be:
Their job is to:
Your social worker is there to support you and make sure everything is going well.
They will:
You can always speak to them if something doesn’t feel right.
You may also have other people around you, including:
All of these people are there to help you.
It’s important that you feel safe wherever you are.
If something is worrying you — even if it feels small — it’s always okay to speak up.
You can:
There are lots of organisations and resources available to support you – whether you need advice, someone to talk to, or help understanding your rights.
Become supports children in care and young people leaving care.
Their Support and Engagement Team can help with:
They also have helpful fact sheets you can download:
The Big Initiative offers a range of training courses that you can access through FCL.
These can help you build confidence, learn new skills, and support your future.
Thinkuknow is an education programme from NCA-CEOP, helping to keep children and young people safe both online and offline.
They offer advice and support if you’re worried about anything.
“It’s not always easy to admit it but we all need help sometimes. If you’ve got a problem or something you’re worried about, there are people who can help.
Remember – talking about it can be the first step to solving it.”
Coram Voice can help you get support from an advocate.
An advocate is someone who:
If there’s something you don’t understand, or something you’d like to see added here – we’d love to hear from you.