Here's what our foster carers say
Fostering with your local council makes sure that children receive outstanding care. Ofsted agrees: Essex was rated Outstanding across the board in 2023.
The child always comes first
Your local council’s interest is perfectly aligned with yours: the child must always come first.
As privately-owned agencies, IFAs have shareholders and must balance service provision and the need to make a profit. But councils have no profit motive.
We stay utterly focused on children and carers. The result is excellent care: in August 2023 children’s social care services in Essex were rated by Ofsted as Outstanding in every area assessed.
When you foster with your council you are directly helping them use their funding to support more children. But this does not mean that foster carers get paid less: Essex offers very competitive financial support to carers.
Fostering locally keeps children in their own community
When a child is fostered locally, they stay closer to all the important people in their lives. Maintaining a local connection to friends, school and family means better continuity and less disruption. They’re still part of their local community. The child’s social worker will be local too. Local connection makes a real difference.
It helps foster carers too. Support and training can be more responsive. Your supervising social worker can come to you - you can meet them face to face. If you’re closer to the child’s community, you’ll also have a stronger connection to the local fostering community.
The local support network really matters.
Your council can ensure the best match between children and foster carers
Only local councils see all of the children in care. Every one. Because of this they can ensure the best possible match between the child and the foster carer. Matching is really important because every child’s situation is different. And the foster carer’s situation too: it has to work for you and your existing family.
And the best possible match means the best possible care.
Essex has a dedicated carer network called Oasis - experienced carers offer advice, get togethers, and sleepovers to each other. It’s like having an extended family network.
Read more about our support networks.
Fostering locally is better for everyone.
We can handle your transfer from an IFA quickly and easily. Have a friendly, informal chat with the team: