Foster carers - Changing your current fostering agency

Foster carers decide to change fostering agencies for a variety of reasons. Foster carers who have transferred their approval with our help have told us:

• That they had not been properly supported
• Their fostering fees and allowances were not competitive
• That not enough training or respite had not been offered to them.

Some foster carers told us that they experienced long periods of time without a child placed. As a foster carer, you are free to choose the fostering agency you foster for. We provide a free fostering agency transfer service for foster carers. Our qualified social workers are experienced in working with carers who would like to transfer from their current agency.
Find out more about your rights, how we help you to find the best fostering agency for you and your family and how we act on your behalf in confidence, to transfer agency.

Free transfer and agency matching service

London Fosterinf provides a free and confidential service available to approved foster carers who want to transfer to another fostering agency. As other people do in most jobs, foster carers may decide that it is time to move on and to change to another agency who may offer better support, allowances, training, respite and choice of placements.
If you make an enquiry, we assess your situation then identify a number of suitable fostering agencies for you to choose from.
If you decide to use our service and have children in placement at the time of transfer, we will pay you an annual fee of £1000 for each child as long as you are registered with the new agency and the child/children remain placed with you.
We are able to provide this extra funding because of the agreed contracts we have with over 60 fostering agencies who donate part of their ‘profit element’ with us and who are commited to supporting our foster carer’s transfer service.
We simply share the donation we receive with the transferring foster carer(s) who often choose to increase their level of respite care or have an extra family holiday which helps to reduce the stresses of fostering.
Contact us to apply to foster children.

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Foster carers awarded MBEs

A Flintshire couple have been awarded with MBEs in the Queen’s birthday honours list after more than a quarter of a century as foster parents.

During that time Alice and David Oldfield from Shotton have looked after more than 100 children.
The couple, both 75, say they have no intention of giving up fostering “as long as we can move around”. Meanwhile, Martin Walter Shaw, from Anglesey, receives an OBE for services to the National Bee Unit.
Mr Oldfield said the honour came as a “complete surprise” but they were both “very, very pleased”. We didn’t understand it, we felt some people were more deserving… but we’re very, very pleased”

“We try to keep in touch with them (their foster children) when they leave although they are spread out in different parts of the country by now,” said Mr Oldfield. “They visit us though, with their own children, and it’s rewarding to see that they’ve done good.”

Mr and Mrs Oldfield, who have four of their own children, decided to give fostering “a go” over 25 years ago. “It’s something we both agreed to do,” Mr Oldfield said. “We take an interest in them, it’s not just a job.

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Fostering - Government package to help attract and retain more foster carer

Fostering – The government has unveiled a new package of support to help local authorities attract and retain more foster carers from a wider range of backgrounds.

Speaking at the National Fostering Agency’s annual conference, the Children and Families Minister Edward Timpson announced a new package of support totalling £750,000 which will be used to:

• provide Fostering Network with £250,000 over 2 years to boost local recruitment of foster carers and help councils share good practice nationally
• provide intervention programmes for looked-after children and those on the edge of care and custody and their families
• fund 3 partnerships between local authorities and independent fostering services to explore new ways of recruitment and retaining a wider group of foster carers – including working professionals and those with the skills and experience to care for children with more complex needs

Today’s announcement will support local authorities in recruiting foster carers who have the specialist skills to care for vulnerable children with different needs – giving them the support and stable environment they need to thrive and reach their full potential.

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