Foster Care Guides by Location

Find out what fostering looks like in your area — local authority contacts, pay rates, placement types and why your city specifically needs more foster carers.

20 locations covered
6,500+ foster carers needed nationally
100+ LA contacts listed

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿England

London

Greater London

London urgently needs more foster carers. With over 8,500 children in care across 32 boroughs, the c

8,500+in care
1,200+carers needed
£400–£850IFA/wk
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Manchester

Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester needs over 400 additional foster families. Manchester City Council and 9 other bo

3,200+in care
400+carers needed
£380–£750IFA/wk
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Birmingham

West Midlands

Birmingham has the highest number of looked-after children of any local authority in England. The ne

2,800+in care
600+carers needed
£370–£720IFA/wk
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Leeds

West Yorkshire

Leeds City Council is one of the largest fostering services in Yorkshire, with 1,800+ children in ca

1,800+in care
200+carers needed
£360–£700IFA/wk
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Liverpool

Merseyside

Liverpool has one of the highest rates of children in care in England per population. The city urgen

1,650+in care
250+carers needed
£360–£700IFA/wk
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Sheffield

South Yorkshire

Sheffield City Council needs around 150 more foster families. South Yorkshire as a whole has thousan

1,400+in care
150+carers needed
£360–£690IFA/wk
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Bristol

South West England

Bristol City Council has around 900 children in care and needs approximately 100 additional foster f

900+in care
100+carers needed
£370–£720IFA/wk
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Newcastle

North East England

The North East has some of the highest rates of children in care in England. Newcastle, Sunderland,

1,200+in care
160+carers needed
£350–£680IFA/wk
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Nottingham

East Midlands

Nottingham has one of the highest rates of children in care in the East Midlands. The city and surro

1,100+in care
130+carers needed
£355–£700IFA/wk
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Leicester

East Midlands

Leicester City and Leicestershire County need more foster carers. The city has one of the most cultu

900+in care
110+carers needed
£355–£700IFA/wk
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Kent

South East England

Kent County Council is one of England's largest authorities and needs hundreds more foster carers. K

2,200+in care
300+carers needed
£375–£750IFA/wk
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Essex

East of England

Essex County Council is one of the largest children's services authorities in England. The county ur

2,100+in care
280+carers needed
£370–£740IFA/wk
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Yorkshire

Yorkshire and the Humber

Across Yorkshire's city and county councils, thousands of children need local foster placements. The

4,500+in care
500+carers needed
£360–£720IFA/wk
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North West

North West England

The North West is one of the regions with the highest fostering need in England. Lancashire, Cheshir

6,500+in care
750+carers needed
£355–£740IFA/wk
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South West

South West England

From Cornwall to Gloucestershire, the South West needs hundreds more foster carers. Rural geography

5,200+in care
600+carers needed
£360–£720IFA/wk
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West Midlands

West Midlands

Beyond Birmingham, the West Midlands region — Wolverhampton, Coventry, Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell — a

4,800+in care
550+carers needed
£360–£720IFA/wk
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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿Wales

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Scotland

🏴Northern Ireland

Not sure where to start?

Read our complete guide to becoming a foster carer — then find a local agency in your area.