Supported Lodgings and Fostering Christmas Afternoon Tea, Basingstoke
3 December 2026
News
This week the Department for Education launched a national campaign to find more foster carers, and we're proud to be backing it. Its message is one we believe in completely: "You already have what it takes. Just share it."
If you've been quietly wondering about fostering for a while (maybe for years), this is for you. Not to rush you, but to help you see that the things you already do every day might be exactly what a child needs.
Step by Step Fostering is an Ofsted-registered independent fostering agency and part of the Step by Step charity. We recruit, train and support foster carers across Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset, Wiltshire, West Berkshire and West Sussex.
The Department for Education's national fostering campaign launched on 14 October 2026 to encourage more people to consider fostering. It shines a light on everyday routines and relationships; on the difference small moments make; and on the support available to foster carers. It also tackles some of the myths that stop good people coming forward.
There's more than one route into fostering. You can foster with your local council, a regional fostering hub or an independent fostering agency like Step by Step. What matters most is finding the organisation that's right for you. If you'd like to understand the difference, our guide to independent and local authority fostering explains it.
If you know how to listen, keep going on the hard days and make someone feel they belong, you already have what young people in care need most.
That's the heart of it. Fostering isn't about being perfect, having a big house or having done it all before. It's about being a steady, kind adult in a child's life, and being willing to learn.
We know the question that stops many people picking up the phone: "What if I'm not good enough?" It's a fair question, and the fact you're asking it says a lot about you. You don't need all the answers on day one. You'll have full training, a fostering team who knows you, and other carers to lean on.
Homework at the kitchen table. A cup of tea and a chat after school. Cheering from the touchline on a cold Saturday morning. These moments can seem ordinary, but for a child who's had a lot of change, they're anything but. They're how trust is built, and they're what a child remembers.
More people can foster than think they can. To become a foster carer with Step by Step, you need to:
You don't need to be married, own your home or have children of your own. If you rent, you'll need your landlord's written permission. And you don't need any experience, because we'll give you full training. Single people, couples and LGBTQ+ carers are all welcome.
Independent fostering agencies bring real diversity to England's fostering system. Here's what fostering with Step by Step looks like in practice.
Step by Step Fostering is wholly owned by the Step by Step charity, so every pound generated through fostering goes straight back into supporting young people. Because we're part of a wider charity, children in your care can also use Step by Step's own services, such as counselling with BACP-registered counsellors.
You'll have full training before a child arrives, starting with the Skills to Foster course, and it carries on once you're approved. It includes trauma-informed care and PACE, an approach built on playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy.
Every household has its own supervising social worker, who visits monthly and gets to know you and your family. Our fostering team is there during the week, and out of hours you have 24-hour support through the local authority.
You'll be part of support groups with other foster carers who understand, and you'll have your own Fostering Network membership.
As the national campaign puts it: "Finding great foster carers matters. Helping great foster carers thrive and keep fostering matters just as much." We're a new fostering service, and we've built it around that second line.
Becoming a foster carer with Step by Step typically takes four to eight months. Here's what to expect:
1. An enquiry and a phone chat
2. An initial visit
3. Checks, including a DBS check
4. The Skills to Foster course
5. Your Form F assessment, where a social worker gets to know you and your household
6. A fostering panel, then a final decision by our Agency Decision Maker
You can ask questions at every step, and you can take it at a pace that feels right for you.
There's no pressure and no commitment. If you'd like to know more, you can download our free guide to fostering, or have a no-pressure chat with our fostering team.
Find out if fostering is right for you
Fostering needs all of us. There are different routes into fostering, so explore them and find the organisation that's right for you. If that's Step by Step, we'd love to hear from you.
You already have what it takes. We'll be beside you while you share it.
Seven young people from Step by Step recently swapped dry land for open water, spending five days crewing a yacht along the south coast with Ocean Youth Trust South.
