What is step down fostering?
Step down fostering is a specialist placement enabling young people to make the transition from living in institutional settings, such as a children’s homes, to a family environment.
Last year, almost 6,900 children were placed in residential care (children’s homes).
For some young people, residential care can be the best setting to meet their needs. However, this may not be true for all children. Many find themselves in residential care simply because there wasn’t a fostering family available and, as a result, have ended up living in a children’s home many miles from home.
We want to make a real and lasting difference to children and young people who could benefit from the stability of family life, and the experience of a warm, supportive and nurturing environment with foster parents who are there to meet their needs.
We believe that children placed in foster care achieve better outcomes than those in residential care. The evidence supports our view, showing that in the long term, children and young people placed in foster care can go on to achieve more and develop stronger attachments and better relationships.
We know people become foster parents because they want to make a difference to young people’s lives. Successfully enabling a child or young person to live in a family is one of the biggest and most important changes a foster parent can make, and it’s highly rewarding too.
Step down fostering isn’t for everyone, and this type of fostering is likely to be ideally suited to experience foster parents or those with residential care experience.
Every foster child is an individual, that’s why we offer various kinds of fostering placements.
The types of fostering you're offered will depend on your personal preferences and circumstances, but many of our foster parents are approved to offer more than one type of placement.
Does a foster parent get paid for fostering?
Yes, go to our financial calculator to gain an idea about how much you could receive.
Who can apply to become a foster parent?
Fostering is available to anyone over the age of 21 as along as you meet the criteria.
Will I receive any specialist training?
Yes, we believe fostering is a journey – and the more you know, the more you’ll get out of it. That’s why we provide ongoing training opportunities for both our foster carers and our staff. Before you’re approved as a carer, you’ll attend a preparation course designed to get you and your family ready to foster. And once approved, you’ll take part in our comprehensive training programme.
Take your first step to becoming a foster parent today
If you’re interested in becoming a foster parent and would like to learn more, then we’d love to hear from you.
Simply fill in the form below and one of our friendly team will be in touch.
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Call us on 0800 077 8159
Suite D, The Point,
Welbeck Road, West Bridgford,
Nottingham, NG2 7QW