August 12, 2025
Whether you are considering fostering for the first time or looking for a fresh start with a fostering service that listens, you will find expert guidance, practical support and a strong sense of community at Flourish.
Could you offer a child or young person a safe, stable home? Learn what fostering involves and how we will support you from your first question onwards.
Looking for more consistent support, clearer communication or a fresh start? Have a confidential conversation about transferring to Flourish.
For us, therapeutic fostering means looking beyond behaviour and understanding what a child may be communicating through it. It also means creating the right environment around foster parents: clear communication, dependable relationships, thoughtful training and help that is available before a challenge becomes a crisis.
That is why our approach involves the whole Flourish team. You will have specialist expertise when you need it, but you will also have people who know you, understand your household and are committed to helping you make a lasting difference.
Your social worker, regional team, therapy team, trainers and practical support colleagues work together, so you are not left to join the dots.
Our relationship-led approach helps foster parents look beyond behaviour, understand what a child may be communicating and respond with confidence.
Foster parents need time to rest and recharge. Flourish provides 21 days of paid respite each year.
Foster parenting is a professional role. Our fees and allowances reflect the skill, commitment and responsibility involved.
You will have a dedicated supervising social worker and a responsive team who take time to understand you, your household and the children in your care.
Develop your confidence through specialist training and opportunities to work towards recognised qualifications.
Learn about Flourish from those who live it every day.
"The support from Flourish is fantastic with brilliant training and a family feel that I haven’t experienced from other fostering agencies."
“Fostering has been the most rewarding job we’ve done and we have some wonderful memories from over the years”
“It was a big decision, but it’s the best thing I’ve done. I’m settled now, I’m not looking over my shoulder, and I know I’m in the right place.”
Our regional teams support foster parents across the North West, South West and South East. Local support can include home visits, training, support groups, community events and opportunities to meet other foster families.
Our foster parents come from all walks of life, and each brings unique experiences and perspectives. Your own life experiences could make you a great match for a young person. And while every foster parent is different, there are a few things they all have in common:
They care deeply about young people and want to make a positive difference in their lives.
They’re willing to listen, grow and learn new ways to support a young person.
They can work through challenges with patience, understanding and perseverance.
They’re ready to provide the consistency, stability and support a young person needs.
“Sometimes you wonder if you’re making any difference. But then something like this happens. You see that all the effort, the patience, and the persistence… it’s working. It’s changing lives.”
“As soon as I read his profile, I knew he needed to be with us.”
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Every fostering journey begins with an informal discovery chat.
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If you seem like a good match, a social worker will come and visit you in your home to explore fostering further.
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By completing an application form, your fostering journey officially begins.
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A social worker completes a full assessment (Form F), which goes to a panel for approval.
Therapeutic fostering recognises that a child's previous experiences can influence their behaviour, relationships and sense of safety. Rather than looking only at the behaviour we can see, foster parents are supported to think about what may be happening underneath it and respond in ways that help children develop safe, dependable relationships. The core principle is simple: with the right environment and support, children can heal from past trauma and begin to thrive.
At Flourish, this approach is supported by specialist training and our in-house therapy team, working alongside our social workers and foster families. Read more about therapeutic fostering.
To become a foster parent with Flourish, you will need to be flexible, honest, and resilient. The most important thing is that you can see the potential in every young person, be reliable through the tough times, celebrate the good times and offer a secure, loving and caring home for a child.
Flourish organises lots of activities and events throughout the year for families and children to attend. This helps to provide positive experiences for children living with a foster family to realise that they are not alone. We actively encourage our Foster Parents to meet regularly to build friendships, share experiences, have fun together and support each other.
When it comes to applying to be a foster parent with us, your passion, attitude and commitment to making a difference in a young person’s life are what we care about. Not your race, religion, gender or marital status. However, some things are essential:
If you would like more information about if you’d be the right fit, why not take our 2-minute foster parent self-assessment quiz.
Yes. Foster parents receive a maintenance payment towards the cost of caring for a child, plus a professional fee for their skill, work and responsibility. Fostering can be a full-time career. Payments are tiered by type of fostering, the child's age and needs, and your experience. Flourish also provides 21 days of paid respite a year.
Read more about pay, allowances and time off.
It usually takes around 3 to 4 months. The assessment is thorough, with visits, checks, references, training and panel, so timing depends on your circumstances. Transfers are often quicker, in many cases 6 to 12 weeks.