As a long-term foster carer, you’ll build lasting relationships and provide a secure home where children can grow and thrive.
Role description
As a Long-Term Foster Carer, you’ll offer a stable, loving home to a child or young person who cannot return to their birth family and where adoption isn’t the right path. These placements often last until the child reaches adulthood, giving them the consistency and care they need to grow and thrive.
You’ll become a trusted figure in their life—supporting their emotional wellbeing, helping them succeed in school, and guiding them through life’s milestones. It’s a deeply rewarding role where you’ll build lasting relationships and make a lifelong impact.
The role is varied and challenging, and includes attending meetings, keeping records, managing behaviour, and promoting family time with birth families.
Responsibilities include
- Establish and maintain a good routine for children
- Treat all children as individuals and as part of your family
- Work as part of a team with staff and professionals from many other agencies
- Actively encourage children to learn, and help them to feel positive about their background, culture and religion
- Promote the healthy growth and development of a child, particularly with regards to their health and education
- Deal responsibly with confidential information and keeping written records
- To speak up for the child (or children) in order to ensure that they receive good care and the opportunities to develop
- Build relationships with children and young people to assist them in keeping in touch with others who are important to them
- Attend training courses provided to support your development as a foster carer and develop your skills
- Provide a safe, caring and nurturing home
- Be able to understand the child or young persons past experiences and how this may impact on their behaviour
Criteria
To become a long-term foster carer, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:
- Be at least 21 years old
- Have a spare bedroom suitable for a child or young person
- Be a full-time resident in the UK or have indefinite leave to remain
- Be able to provide consistent care, often on a full-time basis
- A long-term commitment to a child’s wellbeing
- Ability to provide consistent care and boundaries
- Willingness to attend meetings and training
We believe that families come in all shapes and sizes. We welcome foster carers from all backgrounds and we’re proud to celebrate the strength and diversity of our fostering community.
You could foster if you are:
- A single person or part of a couple (including same-sex couples)
- A homeowner or renting
- Working full-time, part-time, or not currently employed
- From any cultural, ethnic, or religious background
You just need the time, energy, and space to care for a child or young person.
How we support you
By joining our team, you will benefit from:
- Competitive financial support
- An extensive training and development programme offering you the opportunity to develop your skills in supporting children and young people
- A dedicated social worker to support you and your family throughout your fostering journey
- A 24-hour support line, seven days a week
- Therapeutic support from our WAYPOINT team
- A network of support from experienced foster carers including support groups and buddying scheme
- Support for birth children and foster children from our WAYPOINT team
- Award-winning Mockingbird Family Model, with constellations to support our fostering families
- Regular activities and events for the whole family
- A variety of discounts and benefits from venues across the UK
If you have the patience, commitment and understanding required to care for children and young people, we’d love to hear from you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Long-term fostering provides stability while maintaining legal ties to birth families. Adoption is a permanent legal change.
Yes, depending on your flexibility and support network. We’ll help assess your situation during the application process.
Yes, you’ll attend meetings and contribute to care planning.
