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Make the difference. Become a foster carer with Islington Council

What is fostering?

Foster carers provide a safe and loving home for children and young people. Fostering is about opening your heart and home to vulnerable children and young people who are unable to live with their family for many reasons, from illness in the family to parental drug and alcohol misuse or serious abuse. Our children come from a range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds and we value and welcome carers from all backgrounds, of all ages, ethnicity, sexuality and whether single or in a relationship.

We are super proud of our amazing fostering community and our foster carers stay with us because they receive on-going high quality training and dedicated support as well as generous allowances to undertake this crucial community role. You are never alone fostering with Islington, because you become a part of our fostering community, a team of passionate and caring social work staff and foster carers dedicated to transforming the lives of children.

To foster with Islington, you need:

  • a spare bedroom, if you want to foster children aged three years and over
  • to be there for a child whenever they need you
  • to be able to take children to and from school, to health appointments and to meet their family
  • to be in good health
  • to be able to speak, read and write English
  • to be committed to attend training and support groups

You could make the difference to our looked after children by listening to their needs, making a connection to build a relationship with them and providing support and guidance. It is an amazing experience that will give you and your family incredible rewards.

What is the next step?

We recommend the next step would be to have a read of our information pack (available to download below) and attend one of our information sessions. These are run by a member of the recruitment team and an experienced foster carer so it’s a chance to hear first-hand from those that are in the role and to ask any questions.

Currently our information session are run monthly online through Zoom but we hope to soon try to run face to face sessions. You can check on upcoming dates on our Facebook page or by finding us on Eventbrite.

If you would like a further chat, to request a postal information pack or have any questions please call the team on 020 7527 7033 or email us at fostering@islington.gov.uk. You can also look for more information on our webpages.

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  2. Data protection: We will handle your personal information in line with the Data Protection Act 1998 and in accordance with the council’s Fair Processing Notice.

Further information