By becoming a member of the Fostering Network, you are joining over 60,000 other foster carers across the UK.
This membership base allows us to continue campaigning for positive change in foster care, challenging stereotypes, championing foster care, providing advice and support and driving forward best practice.
In return, foster carer members receive:
- comprehensive legal protection insurance to cover legal expenses that may arise as a result of fostering
- Foster carers, their partners and their children, including those over the age of 18 will be covered for:
- It will pay up to £100,000 (£50,000 in Scotland*) of legal expenses arising out of your acting as a foster carer and incurred in defending criminal prosecutions.
- It will pay up to £10,000 of legal expenses arising out of your acting as a foster carer and incurred in defending a civil proceeding.
- It will provide unlimited assistance for initial legal representation at police interview under caution.
- It will pay up to £2,000 of legal expenses incurred in appealing against a barring decision to add your name to the list of people unsuitable to work with children.
* The limit in Scotland remains at £50,000 due to differences in the legal system there. The Fostering Network has made arrangements with our solicitors to ensure that a seamless transfer to legal aid is possible once this limit has been reached.
The policy covers legal costs arising as a result of your work as a foster carer ONLY.
- access to 24 hour helplines providing legal and medical advice, as well as stress counselling
- All members can call our dedicated helpline for:
- Legal advice, including financial matters.
- Medical advice.
- Stress counseling.
Queries are answered by fully qualified and registered lawyers and nurses with years of experience helping our members. Foster carers are gree to discuss and subject, not just issues relating to foster care.
- access to our information and advice services
- a subscription to Foster Care, the high quality magazine for everyone involved in foster care
- regular information and news, including country newsletters and e-newsletters, keeping you up to date on all the fostering news and developments
- access to members only content online
- The members’ area of the website contains exclusive resources, discussion forums, a library catalogue, policy documents and much more to help members to get the information and resources they need.
- six free Signposts in Fostering leaflets containing essential information (including financial information)
- The Signposts in Fostering series is a series of A5 information booklets giving both new and experienced foster carers information on crucial areas of foster care. Simple and concise, each Signpost gives key information in an accessible format. The six free Signposts in Fostering series that are available to all of our members are: Insurance and Foster Care, Income Taz and National Insurance, Benefits, Allegations Against Foster Carers, Record Keeping and Welcoming the Fostered Child. As well as receiving these booklets in their welcome packs, foster carers are able to download the most up to date versions from the members’ area of the website.
- the opportunity to have your say on the issues that affect you
- The Fostering Network is driven by our members and our policy and campaigns work is informed by the views of our members. As a member of the Fostering Network you are a part of a wider community that works together to improve foster care for all those affected by it.
- special members' prices on publications, training and events
- The Fostering Network provides specialist publications, training and events for foster carers and offers all members heavily discounted prices on these. For more information about our publications, please visit our publications website. You can also find out more about our events and training
- special offers with Bollington Care specialist home insurance for foster carers, including a £10 Marks & Spencer voucher
- 15 per cent discount on Jargon Board Game
Jargon is a board game for children and young people in foster care. Children learn through play and that’s why the Jargon board game has been designed. It can be used as a training tool to enable foster carers and social workers to explain to children the complex task of fostering and the “Jargon” used by adults working in the care sector.
Jargon can be used as:
- a way of helping looked-after children to understand your house rules and to aid communication with your family.
- a fun game to play with sons and daughters and extended family members.
Members of the Fostering Network are entitled to a 15% discount on all games ordered.
During Sons and Daughters week and Foster Care Fortnight not only will each member receive a 15 per cent discount, but you will also receive free postage and packaging.
Download our membership benefits card
Frequently asked questions about our membership
Join the Fostering Network
Household membership of the Fostering Network is just £46 per year. This covers up to two foster carers and any sons or daughters living at home.
To join today, download a form, complete and email to membership@fostering.net or post to Membership team, the Fostering Network, 87 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HA.
