Many people have a stereotypical idea of what a typical foster carer is. At Sunbeam we have foster carers from all walks of life, different backgrounds and ethnicities, different ages and races. All our children and young people are different and we try to match each foster carer to our children and young people as closely as possible.

Many people believe that to become a foster carer you must own your own home, have children of your own and have to be married. These are just some of the fostering myths which people may have heard and stop them from enquiring further. However, you do not need to own your own home to become a foster carer, if you rent through a private landlord or agency, all we ask if that you receive written permission that you can use the house for fostering. As long as you are able to offer a foster child or young person their own bedroom, you can foster. You do not need to have children of your own to become a foster carer, although it is important to show your relevant childcare experience. You do not need to be married either, a foster carers relationship status is not an important factor when fostering.

Recent statistics show that over the next year there will be a need of over 7,000 more foster carers in the United Kingdom. There is also an urge for more foster carers to foster teenagers. It is important when becoming a foster carer to be open to all ages of children.

Now is a perfect time to begin your fostering journey, our team will be there to support you throughout the fostering process, once approved all foster carers have a dedicated social worker who will support you throughout your fostering journey. Fostering a child or young person is a life changing experience, you can provide them a loving safe environment where they are able to develop life skills and grow in confidence.

Would you still like to know more? Maybe you have some questions you would like to ask, or further information you might like to know. At Sunbeam we have a dedicated team who would be happy to answer all your fostering questions. We also have lots more great information on our website, to speak to a member of our team contact us on 02087 990 930. We also have a callback request form which you can fill out and a member of our team will be in touch.

Keep an eye out for our next upcoming information events in your area!