Foster carers are needed for children and young people who cannot safely live with their own families. They come into care for many different reasons: growing up in the care system, a family reaching crisis point, arriving in this country alone, or experiencing neglect or abuse. There is no single type of child who needs a foster home. Each is an individual, with their own story and their own potential.
Some have been looked after by a local authority for much of their lives, often after early experiences of instability. They may have moved between placements more than once. What they are looking for is consistency: somewhere calm and dependable, where they can settle and be themselves.
Family breakdown can happen to any household. Relationships end, a parent becomes unwell, or home stops being a safe place to be. When that happens, a young person may need somewhere to live for a while, sometimes for a short period and sometimes for longer.
Some are separated children, young people who have left their home country without their family, often having experienced harrowing journeys. They may be learning English and finding their feet in an unfamiliar place. With a patient, welcoming home, they can go on to thrive.
Whatever their route into care, many of these young people have lived through more than most adults have. That can show up in different ways. It does not make them any less capable, and with the right support and a bit of patience, they can and do move forward.
A common worry is that fostering is only for people with a certain background or a specific qualification. It is not. What matters most is a stable home, a bit of patience, and a willingness to learn. Full training and ongoing support come as standard, so you are never doing it alone.
Step by Step Fostering is a subsidiary of the Step by Step charity. That connection is what makes fostering with us a little different: any surplus from the fostering service is reinvested into Step by Step's wider work with young people facing homelessness across the South of England. So, a foster placement does not just change one young person's life. It helps fund the support behind many more.
Placements are made carefully, with your circumstances, experience and preferences take into account, so that each match has the best chance of working for everyone.
Yes. Most foster carers start with no experience. The training and support are there to get you ready and to keep supporting you throughout.
A stable, caring home with a spare room for a young person. You do not need to own it or have a large house.
If you think you could offer a young person a stable home, we would love to hear from you. A member of our team will talk you through what is involved, with no obligation.
We welcome the PM's announcement. The funding matters, the urgency matters, and a government willing to say plainly that no one should sleep in a doorway is good news.
But if we are serious about ending rough sleeping, we cannot only wait until someone is already on the streets. We have to stop them getting there in the first place.
