Foster Care
I’ve Never Had My Own Children – Can I Foster?
Many people wonder if they can foster a child without having raised children of their own. The good news is yes –…
How to Support a Foster Child’s Education and Development
Education plays a huge role in every foster child’s development, but it can also come with challenges. Many children enter foster care…
Inclusive Support for Children in Foster Care: Meeting Every Child’s Needs
Every child in foster care is unique. Some may need extra support at school, others emotional understanding, and many will need flexibility…
Supporting Children in Foster Care to Stay Safe Online
Online life is now part of everyday childhood. For children in foster care, the digital world can offer connection, creativity and learning…
Listening to Children’s Voices in Foster Care: Putting Children at the Heart of Everything We Do
At Beacon Fostering we believe that listening to children’s voices is fundamental to good foster care. Children and young people in care…
Improving Communication Between Foster Carer and Foster Child
Strong communication is at the heart of every successful fostering relationship. For a foster child – who may have faced trauma, loss…
Celebrating Christmas as a Fostering Unit
Christmas is a magical time of year, filled with warmth, connection and opportunities to create cherished memories. For foster carers, the festive…
Managing Foster Children’s Savings for Their Independence
Supporting children and young people in care to manage their money is an essential part of preparing them for adult life. As…
Activities for Foster Families on Bonfire Night
Bonfire Night is a fantastic opportunity for foster families to create memorable experiences and strengthen bonds through fun, safe activities. At Beacon…
Helping Foster Children Adjust to New Eating Routines
When a child enters a new foster home, almost everything changes – including how, when, and what they eat. For many foster…
Reducing Foster Carer Burnout – Wellbeing Strategies
Fostering is one of the most rewarding roles there is, offering children a safe, stable, and loving home when they need it…
The importance of culture in fostering unaccompanied asylum-seeking children
When an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child or young person arrives in the UK, they have often faced loss, trauma, and uncertainty. Foster care…
From Corporate Strategy to Human Impact: Why I’m Starting a New Chapter in Purpose-Led Marketing at Beacon Fostering
Beacon Fostering are delighted to welcome our newest recruit, as Carolyn Williams joins the Beacon Fostering family! Carolyn has written a few…
Supporting Neurodivergent Children in Foster Care: Practical Approaches and Understanding
Fostering a neurodivergent child—such as one with autism, ADHD, or sensory processing differences—requires extra understanding, flexibility, and advocacy. But it’s also an…
Understanding Therapeutic Fostering: What It Is and Why It Matters
Therapeutic fostering is a specialist form of foster care that provides extra support for children who have experienced significant trauma, neglect, or…
Ofsted Registration
Beacon Fostering is successfully registered with Ofsted as an approved independent fostering agency. Our official Ofsted provider record (URN 2793200) confirms that we…
Foster Care Fortnight Day 10: UK Celebrities Who Grew Up in Foster Care
At Beacon Fostering, we know that growing up in foster care can present enormous challenges – but we also know it can…
Foster Care Fortnight Day 7: Types of Fostering
Fostering isn’t a one-size-fits-all arrangement. Children and young people in care come from diverse backgrounds and have different needs—emotional, physical, and practical….
Foster Care Fortnight 2025!
It’s Foster Care Fortnight – the UK’s biggest awareness raising campaign for fostering! Over the next two weeks from the 12-25th May,…
Supporting a Foster Child’s Education: A Guide for Beacon Fostering Families
Education plays a crucial role in shaping a child’s future, and as a foster parent, you are a key part of that…
Embracing Faith in Fostering: Respecting Beliefs and Creating a Supportive Home
Faith can be a deeply personal and powerful source of strength—especially during life’s more challenging moments. For many people entering the world…
Celebrating Easter With Your Foster Child!
Easter is a special time of year for many families—an uplifting celebration filled with faith, tradition, and togetherness. Church services, Easter egg…
Helping Your Foster Child With Their Homework
In your role as a foster parent, you can actively support homework, which will benefit your child’s academic trajectory. Giving homework advice…
Horse Therapy Benefits for Children and Young People in Foster Care
Today is Gold Cup day at Cheltenham Races! Horses can have a great impact on children and young people living in foster…
Lloyd Kelly: Foster Care Story
From Foster Care to playing Champions League Football for Juventus in Turin. This is Lloyd Kelly’s story. Many people will know Lloyd…
Understanding DBS Checks for Foster Parents
Fostering is essential because it offers a secure, caring home to children who are unable to remain with their biological relatives. A…
Support Networks for Foster Carers
Numerous foster carers have access to their own support systems, which are composed of friends, family, and contacts in the local community….
Do Foster Carers Have To Pay Council Tax?
A frequently asked question in fostering is ‘do foster carers pay council tax? Within this blog, we will be concentrating on council…
Hobbies for Children in Foster Care
Children and young people have talent. Believe us, during our tenure as a foster agency, we have witnessed the most amazing occurrences….
An Overview of the Fostering Process
A summary When a child or young person’s needs or reasons for entering foster care are determined or communicated to professionals, the…
Beacon Fostering: Meet the team!
At Beacon Fostering, we have a real family ethos as we strive for our foster carers to feel as though they are…
Applying to be a foster carer
Are you interested in fostering? Do you want to apply to foster with Beacon Fostering but you are unsure how to? During…
Celebrities who were fostered
In 2023, there were over 100,000 children and young people in foster care. There are many success stories in fostering. Many of…
Why is there a shortage of foster carers?
Across the country we have experienced a loss of over 1,000 fostering households in the last 18 months. It is commonly known…
Criteria For Becoming A Foster Carer
Who can foster? Fostering should be inclusive and diverse and anyone can have the potential to be a foster carer. When it…
Children’s home numbers are up and foster carers continue to be required
There has been recent data shared by Ofsted on the number of children’s homes being operated to support children and young persons….
Do foster carers pay tax?
One question we are frequently asked is whether or not foster carers are required to pay tax on their carer payments. It…
What is the average pay for foster carers?
The average pay for foster carers is difficult to understand as there is no requirement for fostering agencies or local authorities to…
Fostering Siblings
Have you ever thought about fostering siblings? When any child goes into foster care, it is extremely tough for them, but this…
Two Online Fostering Information Sessions with Beacon Fostering!
Beacon Fostering have two Online Fostering Information Sessions coming up, targeting people in Preston, Liverpool and surrounding areas. With a shortage of…
Can I work and be a foster carer?
If you are in work, whether this is self-employed or through employment, the area to look at here is if you would…
Looked After: A Childhood in Care – Ashley John Baptiste
Ashley John Baptiste, a broadcaster and journalist for the BBC, had a different upbringing to many of his colleagues and others in…
How to Switch Fostering Agencies?
One question we regularly get asked, is from foster carer’s who are interested in switching fostering agencies to join Beacon. Switching fostering…
Welcome to Beacon’s Fostering Panel – David, Panel Member
Hello, my name is David Decorte and I am an independent member of Beacon’s Fostering Panel as well being a member of…
Welcome to Beacon Fostering’s Panel Chair – John Terry
I qualified as a Social Worker in 1988, and since then have worked in a variety of social work roles, including: Probation,…
Local support needed for Preston area! Start your fostering journey if you are local to Preston!
Beacon Fostering has a targeted focus on the Preston area and supporting foster carers locally. Your fostering agency has a resource centre…
Fostering vs Adoption
There is often some confusion in differentiating between fostering and adoption. Within this blog, I will attempt to make understanding the differences…
Rob Burrow – A Beacon of Hope!
At Beacon Fostering, we would like to share our best wishes and thoughts to the family and friends of Rob Burrow following…
Simon’s Story – National Share A Story Month
Foster Care Fortnight has now ended, but as we are still in National Share a Story month, we thought we’d continue sharing…
Foster Care Fortnight – Priankar’s fostering story
During Foster Care Fortnight, we thought we’d share some of our team’s favourite fostering stories. Below, you’ll see our Interim Registered Manager…