Are you looking for a vocation with life changing potential? If you could offer a vulnerable child or young person a safe place to stay, then foster care could be for you.
Foster Carers are kind, compassionate people who open their hearts and homes to some of society’s most vulnerable children.
Foster Carers give children a sense of safety and belonging, often for the first time. They provide a safe haven, helping children heal from unimaginable hardships and traumas. They give children a second chance – an opportunity to rediscover joy, trust, and enjoyment in life. Ultimately, they turn children’s lives around – and we support them every step of the way.
I didn’t know that people could be good until I met my Foster Carers.
The main reason people choose to foster is because they believe they can offer support to vulnerable children. Our Carers truly believe that they can turn lives around – and we support them every step of the way.
Other reasons people foster are as follows:
Working from home, it is possible to combine fostering with looking after your own children, or to combine fostering and other work, depending on the needs of the children in your care.
Our Foster Carers support families in crisis who may need help for a time. In doing so, they help biological families stay together in the long-term.
According to the Fostering Network, in the UK, one child comes into care every 15 minutes and could need a foster family. Unfortunately, we are facing a national crisis in the care sector, as the number of Foster Carers in England has sunk to a 10-year low.
We know that our Foster Carers’ main motivation to foster isn’t financial; however, for many of our Carers, fostering is their sole source of income. At Five Rivers, we offer competitive pay and paid time off.
Our Foster Carers provide children with the opportunity for a brighter, happier future, what could be more rewarding than that?
Carers aren’t left to navigate fostering alone; we support you throughout your training. As children grow in confidence, so will you, building resilience, fulfilment, and pride in the difference you make.
As a Social Enterprise, we reinvest more than half of our profits into improving services that support children and young people who are in our care. Our approach is rooted in evidence-based practice, ensuring that Foster Carers and Responsible Adults receive specialist training in Attachment & Trauma Informed Care (ATIC ®).
To support our Foster Carers, we provide them with a competitive fostering allowance. This is made possible because we operate as an independent agency and a Social Enterprise.
Our Social Workers work closely with our in-house Clinicians to create personalised, therapeutic support plans which are funded through our Social Enterprise reinvestment.
You will be supported by a dedicated, highly trained Supervising Social Worker who offers regular, trauma informed guidance, so you can feel supported every step of the way.
Our highly qualified staff are available to you round the clock, day or night.
We developed the Attachment and Trauma-Informed Care Model (ATIC®) which is used throughout Five Rivers to equip Foster Carers and our team with the skills to support their foster children effectively.
We have a network with other carers in your area which can offer you additional support and give you the opportunity to discuss any issues and concerns you may have. You will also have instant access to Foster Talk, an independent support and advice service for Foster Carers.
We have respite carers available so that you can have a break when needed.
We work closely with Local Authorities and offer additional clinical, educational and participation opportunities to ensure every foster child feels supported and empowered to express themselves and shape positive change within themselves.
We provide our Foster Carers birth children with support where this can be shaped on an individual basis to contribute within the foster home.
For many young people, transitioning from care can be difficult, which is why we created Five Rivers Futures, a service that offers financial grants, information signposts, and advocacy support.
Our team provides an extensive range of specialist training (free of charge), as well as dedicated support for you and your family.
There are some basic criteria you’ll need to meet to be considered as a Foster Carer with Five Rivers Child Care. You will need to:
There are many different types of fostering. Children may stay with Foster Carers for just a few weeks or for several years. Regardless of the duration, a Foster Carer’s impact can last a lifetime.
You may have an idea of what type of fostering will work best for you. If you’re not sure, don’t worry; we provide lots of opportunities to learn about the different types of fostering and will help you decide which is right for you.
We have supported 1000’s of children and will continue to help more.
All of our fostering offices are rated as “Good” by Ofsted.
Our Social Enterprise reinvestment has funded ATIC®F, our new therapeutic approach to support children in foster care.
If you’re ready to apply or simply want to find out more about fostering, you can fill in the contact form and our Carer Enquiries team will be in touch.
You can use our Live chat to talk directly with our Carers Enquiries team and find out more about fostering with Five Rivers.
Your local fostering team will be there to support you, offering personalised, professional guidance throughout your fostering journey.
