Fosterline
Freephone 0800 040 7675, use our enquiry form or email fosterline@fostering.net
Fosterline, the confidential advice line for foster carers, provides independent, impartial advice about fostering issues, including:
- concerns about a child's future
- allegations and complaints
- changes in legislation
- financial matters
As well as providing information, Fosterline is able to advise foster carers on how to take the next step in dealing with any fostering-related problem and offers advice on how to access other services and support.
Extended opening hours due to popular demand
In response to feedback from users, Fosterline has extended its open hours and is now open from 9am until 8pm on Wednesdays, and from 9am to 5pm as usual on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (except bank holidays).
Freephone: 0800 040 7675
Textphone users: dial 18001 then 0800 040 7565 (for typetalk service)
Email: fosterline@fostering.net
Address: PO Box 51566, London, SE1 8WJ
Fosterline's growing reputation leads to more enquiries
Fosterline has just experienced its busiest ever year with over 5,500 enquiries answered. Our reputation as the leading source of independent, specialist advice for foster carers has attracted many new callers. During November 2008 we received our 19,000th enquiry and more foster carers than ever contacted us during the Christmas and New Year period.
The most popular and immediate way of contacting Fosterline has been via the freephone number 0800 040 7675. When all our staff were busy, and when the service was closed, callers were invited to leave an answer phone message and a Fosterline adviser then rang them back the same day, or on the next working day.
Foster carers continued to need information and advice about every aspect of fostering. While many callers wanted advice related to allegations against foster families, an even greater number of callers sought advice about becoming a foster carer. Enquiries about welfare benefits and tax credits were very common, as were enquiries about childcare law and also income tax and national insurance. There has been a sharp increase in enquiries about the arrangements for young people who are leaving care, including those who wish to remain living at their foster carer’s home after their 18th birthday. Other common reasons for an enquiry have included the complexities of being a family and friends foster carer (kinship carer), the allowances paid to foster carers and the right of foster carers to influence the local authority’s Care Plan for each fostered child.
The Fosterline Annual Review 2008 is being circulated to foster carers throughout England and it can also be viewed in full via this website (see below).
Fosterline is funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and is run by the Fostering Network. In addition to helping individual foster carers, and others directly involved in fostering, Fosterline has provided unique information and statistics to the DCSF on the whole range of challenges faced by foster carers. In this way Fosterline has made a positive contribution to the policy discussions and developments linked to the implementation of the Government’s 2007 White Paper "Care Matters – Time for Change" and the new Children and Young Persons Act 2008.
Fosterline is open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (except bank holidays) and it also remains open until 8pm on Wednesday evenings. In addition, any foster carer can leave an answer phone message 24 hours a day, using the same freephone number 0800 040 7675, and a Fosterline adviser will ring back the same day, or on the next working day.
The 2008 Fosterline Annual Review
Our annual review for 2008 was published in January 2009. Download the 2008 Fosterline annual review (pdf, 624KB)
