about families for children
Families for Children is one of the largest and most successful independent fostering organisations in the South East. We have been operating in London and the Southern Counties since 1990 with local centres supporting children and carers in these regions. View locations...
Our greatest resource is our team of over 200 fostering families and 90 staff. All our team members are carefully appointed and extensively trained to provide the caring and enriching environment in which children are encouraged to grow.
Families for Children is inspected periodically by Ofsted to ensure we deliver the highest standards of care. Ofsted have consistently commended us on our support to carers, outcomes for children and having a motivated team of staff. Latest Ofsted report...
what is fostering?
Fostering is a lifestyle choice to provide children and young people with a caring and nurturing environment, during a period where their own family is unable to look after them. This is often only a temporary arrangement, and many fostered children return to their birth families. Children who cannot return home but still want to stay in touch with their families, often live in long-term or permanent foster care.
Our 'about becoming a foster carer' section explains a little more about fostering in general and gives infomation on the following areas:
recruitment events
Families for Children has been offering the highest levels of support for foster carers in Sussex, Hampshire, London and Surrey for over twenty years. We have seven friendly, local and well staffed centres throughout the region and are always interested to hear from people in any of these areas who want to join us.
We are currently experiencing great demand for foster carers throughout Berkshire, Hampshire, West Sussex, Surrey and South London.
If you would like to find out more about what a career as a foster carer can offer, please come and meet some of our carers and staff at one of our 2013 events.
community partnerships
Families for Children is now sponsoring Albion in the Community Holiday Courses, click here for further information.
Open Day on Monday 25th March, 2.30pm-4pm. Please click here to view the flyer.
Foster Carer Event - 18th April @ Sussex University
Event giving foster carers information about university. Click for further information.
foster carer forum
The Foster Carer Forum is a group of volunteer carers who represent each local centre. They meet with two of the Directors (Steve and Cherry) every quarter to explore topical issues and agency developments; they present questions, suggestions and thoughts on behalf of their carer colleagues in a constructive way which often helps to improve practice, systems and communication for all concerned.
The Forum representatives will provide feedback following the meetings on decisions which will often affect either or all carers, children and the agency. If you have any early difficulties which you do not feel able to explore with your social worker, your carer reps are very happy to speak to you. This is often useful around areas of new learning, particularly when you first join and have many questions to ask. Click to download more information on the Foster Carer Forum
supporting charities
Everyone at Families for Children is trying to make a difference. Each of the teams has picked a chosen charity for the year with the aim of donating as much money as possible via different events.
There are a number of projects which are now being initiated which will be posted on here very soon. The charities we are supporting are:
- The Sussex MS Treatment Centre
- CRED Foundation
- Tuesday O'Hara Fund
- War Child via Daring Dynamos
- Comic Relief
