Torbay Foster Care Service

Anyone can foster with the right support and you can be married, single, gay or straight, young or old, and from any background. Fostering is one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself, and is also your opportunity to make a real difference to a child’s life and wellbeing. As well as helping children who have often had a difficult start in life to improve their confidence and help prepare them for the world by providing a safe and loving home, you will also be paid and be entitled to a number of benefits and discounts. You will also have access to ongoing support and advice from Torbay’s Fostering team social workers, and regular meetings with your designated supervising social worker, as well access to other professional support, for example with teachers, doctors and other health care professionals. Your foster child will also have their own social worker from a different team. Depending on the circumstances, you may also have frequent meetings with the child’s birth parents and other family members and friends to support the child’s contact with them. We don’t pretend it’s easy and there will be challenging times ahead, but the positive rewards and the difference it will make to both you and your foster child’s life, far outweigh the negatives.