FSWS 
Alternative Care Fostering Service
The Fostering Service within the Directorate for Alternative Care provides children with a family when, for specific reasons, they cannot live with their biological family. Fostering offers children, the chance to grow within a stable home environment where they can feel safe, cared for, and supported.
Where possible, the Fostering service, alongside other services within the Directorate, works towards reintegration with birth parents, when this is in the child’s best interest. If the latter is not possible, discussions will take place to explore alternative plans aimed at achieving long-term stability.
Foster care placements can vary depending on the needs of the child and the family situation:
Anyone can become a foster carer as long as they are an adult, meet the eligibility criteria, and have the necessary abilities and skills to care for children. Foster carers play an important role in providing children with love, care, security, reassurance, and stability
The process begins with an initial meeting with professionals from the Fostering service. During this meeting, the process is explained, and official documents are collected from the applicant or applicants, as well as other household members who live in the same residence.
Prospective foster carers then complete 7 weeks of initial training, undergo an intensive assessment, and a written report is reviewed by the Fostering Board, which determines whether the applicant is suitable to be licensed.
After approval, a matching board is held to assess the child’s needs and the foster carer’s skills. All decisions are communicated sensitively, allowing foster carers to decide whether to proceed with the proposed match.
Throughout the process and the placement, foster carers are supported through:
Individuals who are interested in becoming foster carers and who would like more information about what the process entails are encouraged to contact the Fostering Team on 1778.
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You can fill out this form to register your interest here
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