Talk to us about becoming a foster carer

Interested in looking after children in your home on a short and long term basis? Fill out the form below to learn more about fostering.

Launch a rewarding career in child care

If you live in a loving, stable home and would like to offer a vulnerable child a safe place to stay, becoming a foster carer could be for you. Foster carers are paid to look after children who are temporarily or permanently unable to live with their birth families. They are child care experts working with a team of professionals to give children a brighter and happier future.

Why foster?

Fostering is not just a career, it is a role that blends into and enriches your everyday life. It gives you flexibility and you can work from home. In some cases, it is possible to combine fostering with other work, too, depending on the needs of the children in your care. The main reason why people foster is because it is extremely rewarding. Still, it can be challenging, so we invest in our carers with a full support package.

Our service has been rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted three times, and here are some of the reasons why…

Specialist training

Alongside the ‘Skills to Foster’ course, we run regular specialist training sessions covering everything from single carers to therapeutic care.  

Child-centric approach

We plan school holiday activities for out children and young people, and also have two full time teachers within our core support team who help boost confidence and achievement. 

24/7 professional support

We’re a tight-knit team, and whoever picks up the phone, day or night, will know the background of any of our foster families to provide guidance when it’s most needed. 

Financial support

As part of a social enterprise and independent provider, we offer a highly competitive fostering allowance from £413 per week for each child in placement. For almost all foster carers, this will be tax free. 

foster siblings playing together

Can I foster?

There are some basic criteria you’ll need to meet to be considered as a foster carer with Safehouses Fostering. You will need to: 

  • Make the welfare of the children and young people a central part of your life
  • Be over the age of 21
  • Have a furnished spare room that is not used by anybody else
  • Be committed to undergo training and development 
  • Be able to transport children to and from school and for family time 
  • Be able to work in partnership with the team involved in caring for the child/young person
foster child with foster dad walking

Support that’s local to you

We know how important relationships are. Having a local office means: 

  • Less travel and more face-to-face time with our supportive team
  • Opportunities to join local events in and around Greater Manchester
  • The chance to form close relationships with other local foster carers

If you want to know more about fostering with us, why not drop by and meet us in person? You can find us at The Fleece, 41 Oldham Road, Denshaw, Oldham, OL3 5SS. Or, click below to get in touch with our Carer Enquiries Team for more information.

Enquire to foster
foster child holds hands with foster mum

We're looking for foster carers

Whether you’re new to fostering or have years of experience with a local authority or other fostering provider, we’d love to hear from you. We’re looking for foster carers in the following locations and surrounding areas: 

  • West Yorkshire 
  • Greater Manchester 
  • East Lancashire 
  • Oldham 
  • Calderdale 
  • Trafford 
  • Rochdale 
  • Bolton 
  • Bury 
  • Tameside 
  • Stockport 
Enquire to foster
foster child making dough

Hear what our foster parents say about fostering with us…

"We had talked about fostering for years but we waited until out our youngest child had grown up. The Out of Hours service is priceless when you first start. You ring up and you speak to someone you know, not just a voice on the phone."

Karen & John

"Just one recent example is the support Safehouses have given regarding family contact arrangements for one of our foster children. Safehouses sorted out somewhere nice to meet, convenient for the parents, and a Safehouses social worker provided supervision for the contact meetings."

Paul & Debbie
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Speak to our team about fostering

Our Carer Enquiry Team are here to answer your questions, get in touch below.

foster child with foster dad walking

FAQs

Want to know more about fostering with Safehouses? Head to our FAQs page to find answers to some of the questions our team gets asked about the most.

foster family shoes

Pay and allowances

It is our responsibility to ensure our carers are equipped with the resources they need to offer a safe and loving home. That’s why we pay our foster carers a generous fostering allowance so they can focus on giving their foster child the best possible care.