Fosterline

Fosterline, the confidential advice line for foster carers, provides independent, impartial advice about fostering issues.

We are open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday with late opening until 8pm on Wednesdays. If you can't get through, or it is outside opening hours, you can leave a message and a Fosterline Adviser will ring you back as soon as possible.

How we help

More foster carers than ever are seeking advice from Fosterline. In the last year we have answered more than 6,000 new enquiries.

We provide information on issues such as concerns about a child's future, allegations and complaints, changes in legislation and financial matters. We are also able to advise you on how to take the next step in dealing with any fostering issue and how to access other useful services and support.

Most callers are already approved to foster but every year hundreds of people who want to become foster carers also seek advice. Staff from fostering services also seek advice on a wide range of topics.

What foster carers say about Fosterline:

“The advice I received enabled me to voice my concerns to the proper people who then put in place a worker to help both myself and my young person.”
“Our particular situation has been fully resolved thanks to the invaluable advice we received from Fosterline.”
“I was able to proceed with confidence in making the arrangements I needed regarding my financial situation.”
“It was a real life-line, I would not have known what to do and our nephews might still not be with us. Fosterline advice moved things forward.”
“Advice from Fosterline gave us the strength to carry on.”

Fosterline is funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and is run by the Fostering Network. In addition to helping individual foster carers, and others directly involved in fostering, Fosterline has provided DfE with unique information on the challenges faced by foster carers.