There are many good fostering agencies in the UK, but Step by Step Fostering offers something truly unique: its impact reaches far beyond the children it directly supports.
There are more than 100,000 children in care in the UK, and the need for high-quality foster placements has never been greater.
Step by Step Fostering offers high-quality, therapeutic foster care for children and young people – and reinvests all surplus income into other specialist support services for young people at risk of homelessness.
When a local authority places a child with Step by Step Fostering, they’re not just funding a home with outstanding care and support. They’re funding accommodation for vulnerable young people, specialist support for care leavers, and emotional wellbeing services.
It's fostering that gives back, and the ripple effect is real.
We are a not-for-profit fostering service that builds strong, consistent placements. Every carer is trained and supported to offer therapeutic, trauma-informed care. We provide a comprehensive training programme, including 'Skills to Foster' and therapeutic parenting training, to ensure carers feel confident, equipped and prepared from the very start. And every placement is backed by wraparound support from experienced Step by Step professionals.
Because we’re not a commercial fostering agency, we make decisions for children, not shareholders. Our purpose is clear: we exist to help young people thrive.
Step by Step Fostering delivers more than compliance. We deliver connection, stability and growth. Our carers offer safe, stable and loving homes for children up to the age of 18, many of whom have experienced significant trauma, abuse or neglect.
We specialise in long- and short-term placements, sibling groups, and children with complex needs. Our placement breakdown rate is low. Feedback from carers, children and social workers is consistently strong.
In a landscape where fostering is increasingly dominated by commercial providers, Step by Step offers something different: a not-for-profit, values-led approach with a clear social return. We are Ofsted registered and operate to the highest standards, but with a flexibility and child-centred ethos that only a charity can bring.
We work in partnership with local authorities across the South of England, offering a reliable, ethical fostering option with exceptional added value.
Every child placed with Step by Step Fostering is supported to thrive. But they also become part of a wider story, because every penny of surplus income is reinvested in frontline services for other young people.
This means that commissioners can meet their statutory duties while also helping tackle youth homelessness. And donors can be confident that their support extends across a joined-up pathway of care.
Whether you're a commissioner, provider, sector leader, or journalist, Step by Step Fostering offers a model worth exploring. We welcome partnerships, collaboration and meaningful conversations that move the sector forward.
If you're looking for a fostering service that delivers outstanding care with wider social value, we’re ready to connect.
“I’ve really appreciated the support I’ve been given along my journey, through my Local Authority Social Worker and my Supervising Social Worker from Step by Step.”
