Why foster with your council?
Fostering is an incredibly rewarding journey. The children in our care need foster parents with aspirations for them and a belief that they can reach their full potential.
We don’t need perfect families, we need real people with real personalities, a sense of fun. We're looking for a passion and an ability to provide children in our care with love, patience and a sense of belonging.
My supervising social workers have been really responsive and really supportive and available throughout the journey
Suffolk County Council’s fostering service is a non-profit organisation and provides exemplary 24/7 support to its carers.
Fostering for your own local authority means you are supporting the children, teenagers and families from your own communities.
You will be part of a whole team of professionals within the service that are working together to provide the best outcomes for our children.
Read more about the many benefits of fostering with your local council versus fostering with Independent Fostering Agencies.
Our fostering offer
When you foster with Suffolk's Fostering Service, you will benefit from:
- being part of Foster East, a regional hub with 11 local councils in the East of England
- Suffolk’s therapeutic fostering support
- tier level payments
- out of hours support helpline
- a foster career pathway
- additional leave for Suffolk Council Council staff who are also foster carers
- up to 21 nights paid respite
- support groups in each area, as well as Mockingbird Family Models currently being set up around Suffolk
- a dedicated Social Worker
- a range of training and development opportunities
- opportunities to be involved with training and supporting other carers
- a fortnightly newsletter containing news, events, support groups and more
- free membership to the Fostering Network
- free membership to New Family Social for LGBTQ+ foster carers
If you are a foster carer thinking of transferring to Suffolk, read more about transferring to Suffolk.
Thinking of fostering?
We can discuss options and opportunities with you.