Foster care provides children and young people who cannot live with their birth families with a safe and loving home where they feel valued, respected, and cared for.
There are currently 3,008 children and young people who are reliant on foster care in Northern Ireland (March 2022). Every child deserves a stable home – a foster carer can offer that and make a positive impact on a child’s life.
Children and young people may need foster care for various reasons. Some parents have health-related problems that prevent them from being able to adequately care for their child. Children may have experienced neglect or abuse, or a child may have a disability that birth parents find difficult to care for. Whatever the reason, fostering provides a caring home and stable environment in which a child or young person can thrive.
Often, a child or young person will hope to return home to their birth family at some point. Foster carers play a valuable role in helping that to happen if it is a possibility.
We provide all foster carers with full training, a 24-hour social work support, and financial assistance.