Practical guidance for real fostering life.

Who is actually around a foster carer, and what happens at nine o’clock on a Sunday night when something goes wrong? A plain look at supervising social workers, out of hours support, the meetings, the training and the money, with the figures that apply in August 2026.

The call can come with a fortnight’s notice or with four hours’. Here is what is worth sorting out before a foster child arrives, from the questions to ask on the phone to the first night, and what really does not matter.

Fostering households in England have fallen for four years running, and children in care need men in their lives as well as women. Here is what male foster carers bring, the awkward parts nobody mentions, and whether you would actually qualify.

Cats, dogs and the occasional chicken are welcome in foster homes across London. Here is what actually gets assessed, and the one exception: GLF cannot approve a household keeping one of the five banned dog breeds, even with a Certificate of Exemption.

For a child aged three or over you will need a bedroom that is theirs, but for a baby a cot in your own room is often enough. Here is what the national standard actually says, what we check when we visit, and what happens to your Housing Benefit while a spare room sits empty.