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A free guide from Lorimer Fostering

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How to Fosterfrom Lorimer Fostering
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A free guide to becoming a foster carer

Become a foster carer, one step at a time

Everything you need to decide if fostering is right for you, in plain English.

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  1. Learn what fostering involves
  2. Join a free online workshop
  3. Have a friendly chat with us
  4. Apply when you are ready

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Free. No sign-up. No obligation. Not sure yet? Try six quick questions.

Step inside
A+ star!
A bed of their ownEvery child you foster needs a bedroom of their own. A quiet space to rest, keep their things and feel safe.
A seat at the tableMeals together, homework, a chat over a hot drink. Ordinary family life is what helps a child settle.
A peg for their coatSmall things say "you belong here". A coat peg, a toothbrush in the cup, their name on the calendar.
Room for their drawingsChildren do well when someone notices what they are good at, and puts it on the fridge.
A light left onSome children have had frightening nights. A night light and a calm grown-up nearby can make all the difference.

Step inside

What a foster home really needs

Tap the glowing dots to look around.

Chat to Rachael or Gareth

Talk to someone about fostering

Leave your details and Rachael or Gareth will get in touch for a friendly chat. No pressure, no obligation, and no question is too small.

We only use your details to talk to you about fostering. Privacy policy.

Book a free online workshop

Relaxed evening sessions on Microsoft Teams. Free and no obligation. Come with your camera and microphone on, and join in whenever you like. We record the session.

Introduction to Fostering Workshop

LF1079

Thursday 12 November, 6pm to 7.30pm

Online on Teams · Free · About an hour and a half, with time for questions

A relaxed evening about what fostering really involves. No obligation. Come with your camera and microphone on, and join in whenever you like.

What it covers
  • What fostering is, and the children who need homes
  • Who can foster, and the myths that put people off
  • The steps from first question to approval
  • The support and training you get
  • Your questions, answered honestly

Who it is for: Anyone thinking about fostering. You do not need to have applied.

Led by: Leanne, Registered Manager.

Therapeutic Fostering Workshop

LF1080

Monday 16 November, 6pm to 7.30pm

Online on Teams · Free · About an hour and a half, with time for questions

How early hurt affects children, and the calm, connected way of caring that helps them feel safe. It is not an assessment.

What it covers
  • How trauma and loss shape a child’s behaviour
  • Why connection comes before correction
  • Everyday ways to help a child feel safe
  • How Lorimer Fostering supports carers to parent this way

Who it is for: Anyone thinking about fostering, people in assessment, and anyone interested in how early hurt affects children.

Led by: Ceri, Business Support, and Gareth, Social Worker.

There is no typical foster carer

Children need all kinds of homes. Here is who fosters.

A dad laughing with his young daughter in a gardenThree young sisters with their arms round each otherA family standing in a row in their wellies
  • Single or in a coupleYou can foster on your own or with a partner, married or not.
  • Any background or faithFoster carers come from every ethnicity, culture and religion.
  • LGBTQ+ or straightWho you love does not decide whether you can foster.
  • Working or notSome carers keep another job. Others foster full time.
  • With or without childrenYoung children, grown-up children, or none at all.
  • You already have skillsEveryone brings something from their own life. Assessment helps you see it.

The road to fostering

From first question to first child. How becoming a foster carer usually works.

A grown-up and a small child walking hand in hand

  1. Learn and ask

    Read the free handbooks and write down your questions. There is no wrong question.

  2. Talk to Lorimer Fostering

    A friendly, informal chat with Rachael or Gareth that commits you to nothing. Usually a video call on Microsoft Teams, which we find works best.

  3. Assessment and training

    A social worker gets to know you and your household over several months. You also take preparation training.

  4. Fostering panel

    You meet the fostering panel, a group of people with different experience. They make a recommendation, and a senior manager at Lorimer Fostering makes the final decision.

  5. Matched with a child

    When a child needs a home, Lorimer Fostering looks for the right match, with support from day one.

HomeA child arrives, and you are not on your own.

Contact me back Could I foster? Six quick questions

Two children reading together in a hammock

The free handbook shelf

22 free handbooks, being added one by one. They are the same ones used to prepare new foster carers. Pick one off the shelf, or search them all.

Stage 1 The basics 7 handbooks

Stage 2 Keeping children safe and well 7 handbooks

Stage 3 Going further 8 handbooks

Tap a cover to see what it is about. Swipe or scroll sideways for more.

What children need: a secure base

Many children in care have had a hard start. The Secure Base Model, from the University of East Anglia, describes five things that help a child feel safe enough to grow. Understanding and Caring for Children explains it in more depth.

  • AvailabilityHelping a child trust that someone is there
  • SensitivityHelping a child manage feelings
  • AcceptanceBuilding a child’s self-esteem
  • Co-operationHelping a child feel effective
  • Family membershipHelping a child belong

Questions to ask Lorimer Fostering

Good support makes a big difference. Ask Rachael or Gareth any of these, or anything else on your mind.

  • Who will my social worker be, and how often will they visit?
  • Who can I call at night, at weekends and on bank holidays?
  • What training is there before approval, and after?
  • Is there a mentor, a support group, or other carers I can talk to?
  • What allowances and breaks are there, and how do they work?
  • How do you decide which child comes to live with us?

Follow Lorimer Fostering

See real moments, events and dates for free workshops. A gentle way to keep fostering in mind while you think it over.

1 hour about 2 hours CumbriaLancashireMerseysideCheshireDerbyshire Manchester

About Lorimer Fostering

Room for one more?

How to Foster is written and paid for by Lorimer Fostering. We are a team of experienced people who find, train and support foster carers across Cheshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Manchester and Merseyside, and anywhere within about two hours of Manchester.

If there could be room in your home for a child, we would love to talk. There is no pressure, and every question is welcome.

Could I foster?Visit Lorimer Fostering
Lorimer Fostering in ten seconds. It ends on our sound: two notes that come together.
Rachael, Fostering Adviser
RachaelFostering Adviser
Gareth, Social Worker
GarethSocial Worker

The kettle is on

Chat to Rachael or Gareth on a Microsoft Teams video call, which we find works best. They are happy to answer your questions, however early you are in thinking about it. No pressure and no obligation.

WhatsApp Rachael or Gareth Call or text 07938 575 738 Contact me back

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