Name

Five Rivers Fostering

Legal name

Five Rivers Ireland

Website

https://fiveriversfostering.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foster Care Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Respite Care for Families of Children with Disabilities (HSAAAIAL), Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

Keywords

• Foster care services
• Child welfare
• Therapeutic support
• Social services
• Family placement

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin (Blanchardstown)

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Foster Care Placements: Five Rivers Fostering operates as a registered fostering agency providing placement services for children aged 0 to 18 years. Children are referred by Tusla Child and Family Agency, the statutory agency with responsibility for child protection and welfare in the Republic of Ireland. The organization receives government funding through its partnership with Tusla for these placements. As a social enterprise, all funds go back into directly supporting the children, young people, and families they work with.
2. Foster Carer Allowances: Allowances are provided to foster families to cover the costs of providing food, shelter, transport, clothing, and education to children in their care. This allowance is not considered taxable income and does not affect social welfare entitlements. The allowances are funded through the government/Tusla arrangement.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Five Rivers Fostering recruits, trains, assesses, and supports foster families across Ireland to provide safe homes for children aged 0-18 referred by Tusla Child and Family Agency. The organization delivers multiple foster care placement types (emergency, respite, short-term, long-term, sibling groups, parent & child, and enhanced care) and provides wraparound clinical and therapeutic supports through an in-house Multidisciplinary Team. It also operates a nationwide Emergency Place of Safety Service on behalf of Tusla, including out-of-hours coverage.

Product overview

Five Rivers Fostering is Ireland's first independent fostering agency (established 2002) and the only social enterprise in the sector. It operates as a single integrated service offering multiple foster care types (Emergency Place of Safety, Respite, Short-Term, Long-Term, Sibling Groups, Parent & Child, and Enhanced Care) supported by comprehensive wraparound services including an Education Initiative Programme, Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP) training, and a Multidisciplinary Team providing psychological assessments, therapy (psychotherapy, play therapy, EMDR, CBT), and clinical supports (occupational therapy, speech & language therapy). The organization works exclusively with Tusla and UK local authorities, functioning as a national service with staff and families throughout Ireland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Place of Safety (EPS) Service A nationwide emergency placement service operating outside normal office hours for children requiring immediate safe accommodation. Approved foster families are on call to welcome children into safe homes during urgent situations. The service operates on behalf of Tusla Child and Family Agency, including the national out-of-hours service.
• Respite Foster Care Temporary planned short-term foster care that provides relief to permanent foster carers, particularly sought for children with disabilities or additional needs. Carers look after a child for short planned breaks.
• Short Term Foster Care Temporary placements for children while their needs are assessed or until they return to their birth family, ranging from days to months. Designed for situations requiring transitional care.
• Long Term Foster Care Extended care placements for children needing a stable family home for periods exceeding one year, continuing until they reach 18 years of age. Designed to provide long-term stability and consistency for children who cannot return to their birth families.
• Sibling Groups Placement Service to keep siblings together in one foster family or with families living in close proximity to maintain sibling relationships. Specifically designed for groups of brothers and sisters entering care together.
• Parent & Child Placements Care for young mothers (under 18) and their babies, providing support to develop parenting skills and self-care capabilities. The foster carer supports both mother and child together.
• Enhanced Foster Care Packages Tailored support packages enabling children with complex needs (including disabilities or non-verbal communication needs) to be cared for within a foster family setting, customized to individual requirements. Includes enhanced allowances and specialized training.
• Education Initiative Programme Educational support service providing interventions including literacy/numeracy support, school networking, behavioral supports, psychological assessments, and third-level application assistance for children in foster care. Delivered by trained education support staff and volunteers.
• Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP) Training and Approach A trauma-informed therapeutic framework integrated throughout the organization, including the PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy) parenting approach. Provided to foster carers and staff to support children who have experienced trauma, with full DDP organizational certification being pursued through the DDP Institute.
• Multidisciplinary Team Supports In-house clinical team providing psychological assessments, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, play therapy, and psychotherapy services to foster families and children in care. Available as part of the standard support package for all foster carers and the children placed with them.
• Psychological Assessment Services Comprehensive psychological assessments including autism/ADHD evaluation, cognitive ability testing, academic attainment assessment, and trauma/adjustment evaluations for children in care. Delivered by in-house psychologists.
• Relative (Kinship) Care Assessment Assessment and support services for relative (kinship) foster carers, including Special Guardianship Order assessments, conducted in partnership with Tusla and UK local authorities for children placed with relatives living in Ireland.
• Return Home / After Care Support Intensive support for reunification including mentor matching, social care worker engagement, and post-placement follow-up to support children returning to birth families, and aftercare support for young people transitioning out of care toward independence.
• Therapy Services Range of therapeutic interventions including individual counselling, trauma-informed psychotherapy, play therapy, EMDR, CBT, Marte Meo therapy, and Filial Therapy for children in care and their foster carers. Delivered by in-house clinicians.
• Education Volunteer Programme Volunteer-based one-to-one educational support for children in care, providing subject-specific tutoring for 45 minutes to 1 hour weekly over ten-week blocks. Connects volunteers with foster children needing academic support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children in care achieve educational outcomes - Iman entered care at age 10 and is now pursuing a master's degree in social work
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• Tusla Child and Family AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTusla is the statutory agency with responsibility for child protection and welfare in the Republic of Ireland. Five Rivers Fostering works closely with Tusla, with children placed with their families referred by Tusla. The organization operates its Emergency Place of Safety Service on behalf of Tusla, including the national out-of-hours service. This is the primary referral channel for placements.
• UK Local AuthoritiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive Rivers Fostering works with some UK-based local authorities who have children/young people placed with relatives living in Ireland. They undertake assessments and provide training and support packages for relatives in Ireland who are caring for children under UK local authority care.
• DDP Institute (DDPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive Rivers Fostering is committed to integrating the principles of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy/Practice/Parenting (DDP) throughout the organisation and pursuing full DDP organisational certification with the DDP Institute. DDPI provides endorsement and training approval for DDP approaches.
• Irish Foster Care AssociationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn approval, foster carers receive membership to Irish Foster Care Association which includes insurance. This provides foster families with additional support and networking opportunities through a national fostering organization.
• ForoigeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerForoige is a youth organization that Five Rivers foster children can participate in. Jean Claude, a former foster child, attended Foroige discos and later became a leader and organizer, eventually completing their Leadership for Life Programme accredited by NUI Galway.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TACT (The Adolescent and Children's Trust): UK fostering and adoption charity providing foster placements with therapeutic wraparound support. Comparable to Five Rivers in independent-charity model, therapeutic framing, and reliance on local authority referrals.
• Barnardos Ireland: Major Irish children's charity providing fostering, early years, and family support services, with a national footprint and Tusla referrals. Comparable to Five Rivers as a not-for-profit delivering foster placements and wraparound therapeutic supports.
• Extern Ireland: Irish charity providing fostering, residential, and youth support services on behalf of Tusla. Overlaps directly with Five Rivers on foster placement, family support, and aftercare work for looked-after children.
• Capstone Foster Care: UK independent fostering agency operating across multiple regions with a therapeutic, trauma-informed care approach. Comparable to Five Rivers in private fostering model, regional office structure, and emphasis on enhanced care packages.
• ISP Childcare Services: One of the largest private fostering and residential childcare providers in Ireland, working with Tusla to deliver foster placements and therapeutic services. Directly comparable to Five Rivers in mission, customer base (Tusla), and service mix.
• National Fostering Agency: Large UK independent fostering agency placing children with vetted and trained foster carers and providing 24/7 support. Comparable to Five Rivers in private fostering agency model, nationwide placement network, and multidisciplinary support infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Tusla Child and Family Agency: Ireland's statutory child protection and welfare agency - both Five Rivers' primary commissioner and an in-house provider of fostering. Comparable as the dominant sector player, though structurally different as the public body that sets commissioning policy.
• Barnardo's (UK): Largest UK children's charity, operating fostering services nationally with trauma-informed and therapeutic models. Comparable to Five Rivers in not-for-profit mission, foster placement work, and integration of therapeutic support.
• Action for Children: Major UK children's charity running fostering services alongside wider children's social care. Comparable as a large-scale charity foster care provider with therapeutic support services and local authority commissioning relationships.
• The Fostering Network (Ireland): UK and Ireland-wide membership charity supporting foster carers and fostering services. Comparable through its sector-wide advocacy, training, and membership role that overlaps with the membership and training functions Five Rivers delivers for its carers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/61553227531629
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/five-rivers-fostering
• Instagraminstagram.com/fiveriversfostering

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Five Rivers Fostering