What The Fostering Network does

The Fostering Network is the UK's leading fostering charity, founded in 1974 and registered in England & Wales (charity no. 280852) and Scotland (charity no. SC039338) as a limited company (no. 1507277). It operates as a membership and campaigning organisation serving approximately 58,000 individual foster carers and kinship carers and around 450 organisational fostering service providers across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with regional offices in Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow alongside its London headquarters at 87 Blackfriars Road. The organisation's core products are its fostering service and individual membership offers (which include access to Fosterline advice lines in each UK nation, the ARAG Legal Protection Scheme, webinars, an online community and Foster Care magazine), The Skills to Foster — a CPD-accredited three-day pre-approval preparation course refreshed in June 2025 — the Allegations in Foster Care Toolkit built on the 5 Ps Model, the Protective Care publication launched in 2025 to replace Safer Caring, and a portfolio of practice programmes including Mockingbird, Step Up Step Down, Fostering Wellbeing, Fostering Attainment and Achievement and Fostering Kinship Support. The Fostering Network has approximately 100 staff, annual turnover of £7 million and is governed by a board of trustees operating under a 2025–2030 five-year strategy.

The business model is multi-stream and charity-structured. Recurring individual and organisational membership subscriptions are the primary revenue line, supplemented by paid open-access training (Skills to Foster at £325 plus VAT for members and £425 plus VAT for non-members per household), transactional revenue from publications and guides sold through the fosteringresources.co.uk e-commerce platform, donations and fundraising via JustGiving, and practice consultancy from Practice Development Consultants in England with parallel practice support in the devolved nations. Strategic commercial partnerships extend the offering into adjacent financial-services categories — notably Foster Shield, a specialist home insurance product co-developed with The Mortgage Brain — while the ARAG Legal partnership underpins the Legal Protection Scheme bundled with membership. Distribution is hybrid: self-serve via the website portal and e-commerce, direct enterprise sales of organisational membership to fostering services, and field-style acquisition through Fosterline referrals, Foster Care Fortnight and Children of Foster Carers' Week campaigns across all four UK nations. The underlying technology stack is non-proprietary, comprising standard membership, ticketing, donation and webinar platforms, with no AI/ML or software product layer.

Name

The Fostering Network

Legal name

The Fostering Network

Website

https://thefosteringnetwork.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Fostering Network is the UK's leading fostering charity, providing membership, advice, training, publications, and advocacy to approximately 58,000 foster carers and 450 fostering service providers across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foster Care Charity Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Foster care charity
• Membership organisation
• Social care training
• Advocacy mediation services
• Child welfare support

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership subscriptions from approximately 58,000 individual foster carer and kinship carer members, as well as organisational memberships from around 450 fostering service providers. Membership provides access to advice lines, publications, training, online community, and the Legal Protection Scheme.
2. Training courses and events: Revenue from open-access training courses (e.g., The Skills to Foster at £325–£425 plus VAT per household per session) and paid webinars. Training is delivered virtually and in person across the UK.
3. Publications and resources: Sale of publications, guides, and resources through the fosteringresources.co.uk e-commerce platform. Products include titles such as Working with Social Workers and the Allegations Signpost.
4. Donations and fundraising: Charitable donations received via JustGiving and other fundraising channels. The organisation also sends fundraising appeals to members.
5. Consultancy and practice support: Practice Development Consultants provide specialist practice support to member fostering services in England; similar support provided in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales via Fosterline contacts. This services the membership organisation.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Fostering Network is the UK's leading fostering charity providing membership subscriptions, advice lines (Fosterline across all four UK nations), accredited training courses (notably The Skills to Foster), advocacy and mediation services, publications, and practice programmes (Mockingbird, Step Up Step Down, Fostering Wellbeing, Fostering Attainment and Achievement, Fostering Kinship Support). It serves approximately 58,000 foster carer members and around 450 fostering service members across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, supported by a Legal Protection Scheme partnership with ARAG Legal and Foster Shield insurance developed with The Mortgage Brain.

Product overview

The Fostering Network operates as a membership organization and charity offering a portfolio of interconnected services for the fostering community. The core offerings include membership programmes for foster carers and fostering services, providing access to a Legal Helpline (24 hours), member webinars, an online community, and Foster Care magazine. Training is delivered primarily through The Skills to Foster® course, a CPD-accredited preparation programme for prospective foster carers. The organization also provides the Advocacy and Mediation Service for foster carers facing allegations, and publishes practical resources including the Allegations in Foster Care Toolkit and Protective Care guide. Foster Shield, developed in partnership with The Mortgage Brain, provides specialist home insurance for fostering households. The organization runs several fostering practice programmes including Mockingbird, Step Up Step Down, Fostering Wellbeing, Fostering Attainment and Achievement, and Fostering Kinship Support. Annual campaigns including Foster Care Fortnight and Children of Foster Carers' Week support recruitment and recognition. Fosterline advice lines provide free confidential support across the UK's four nations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership (Foster/Kinship Carer) Annual membership for foster and kinship carers providing access to the 24-hour Legal Helpline, member webinars, the online community, Foster Care magazine, advocacy and mediation support, and other member benefits. Currently used by approximately 58,000 foster carer and kinship carer members across the UK.
• Membership (Fostering Service) Organisational membership for fostering services including local authorities, Health and Social Care Trusts, independent fostering providers, and charities. Grants access to Practice Development Consultants, training, resources, publications, and a sector professionals forum. Over 370 fostering services are members.
• The Skills to Foster The UK's leading preparation training course for prospective foster carers. A three-day open-access pre-approval training course delivered virtually, accredited by the CPD Certification Service for 18 hours of CPD. Member rate £325 plus VAT per household; non-member rate £425 plus VAT per household.
• Fosterline Advice Lines Free, confidential and impartial telephone and email advice helplines for prospective and current foster carers in each UK nation (England: 0800 040 7675; Wales: 0800 316 7664; Northern Ireland: 028 9164 1152; Scotland: 0141 204 1400), staffed by professional advisers and providing referrals to local fostering services.
• Advocacy and Mediation Service Direct support service providing intensive emotional support, advice, guidance, mediation and advocacy to foster carers experiencing concerns, complaints or allegations. Consultants help ensure processes are understood and foster carers' views are represented. Operated for over 30 years.
• Allegations in Foster Care Toolkit: The 5 Ps Model A guide for practitioners investigating allegations in foster care. Promotes a balanced, transparent and proportionate approach based on the 5Ps (Preparation, Planning, Prevention, Proportionality, Protection) to improve outcomes for children and foster carers.
• Protective Care Publication New publication developed to replace 'Safer Caring', designed to better reflect the realities of fostering today and support fostering services to help carers provide children with warmth, stability, belonging and protection.
• Mockingbird Programme A fostering practice programme designed to improve outcomes for children and young people living in foster care through a constellation model of support that links foster families in a hub with a dedicated hub home carer providing respite, advice, and social connection.
• Fostering Attainment and Achievement A fostering practice programme focused on improving educational outcomes for children and young people in foster care.
• Fostering Wellbeing A fostering practice programme focused on supporting the wellbeing of children and young people in foster care.
• Step Up Step Down A fostering practice programme providing transitional support for children and young people moving into, between, or out of foster care placements.
• Fostering Kinship Support A programme providing support specifically for kinship carers looking after children who cannot live with their parents.
• Foster Shield Home Insurance Specialist home insurance policy developed in partnership with The Mortgage Brain, specifically designed for fostering households and recognising fostered children as part of the family.
• Foster Care Magazine Regular magazine publication for members, with the latest edition accessible through the member portal.
• Working with Social Workers: Signposts in Fostering Publication helping foster carers understand the roles and responsibilities of social workers in the team around the child.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 370 fostering services have joined as members, indicating widespread institutional trust and adoption.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Mortgage BraincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mortgage Brain partnered with The Fostering Network to develop Fostershield — a specialist home insurance policy designed specifically for fostering households. The product addresses a critical gap in the insurance market by recognising fostered children as part of the family and reducing the risk of unnecessary criminalisation of foster children during the claims process. The partnership involves joint development, with The Mortgage Brain driving the product and The Fostering Network providing endorsement and market access to the fostering community.
• ARAG LegalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARAG Legal is The Fostering Network's partner for the Legal Protection Scheme, which is part of the membership offer. Updates to the scheme (including new advice routes, practical online tools, helplines, and wellbeing support) are delivered in conjunction with ARAG Legal. The partnership enables The Fostering Network to share attendees' email addresses with ARAG for additional related information following webinars.
• JustGivingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJustGiving is used by The Fostering Network to manage donations, gift aid, and some events sponsorship. Donors can give via the JustGiving platform, with contact details passed to The Fostering Network only with donor consent. JustGiving acts as the primary digital fundraising collection partner.
• Fosterline services (UK-wide)coreOthersFosterline operates across all four UK nations (England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland) as a telephone and email helpline run by The Fostering Network. Each Fosterline is staffed by professional advisers providing confidential, impartial advice to prospective and current foster carers, and directing them to local fostering services. Fosterline contacts serve as a key referral pathway into the fostering ecosystem.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Action for Children: UK children's charity supporting children, young people, and families through fostering services, family support, and advocacy. Comparable in operating fostering services and providing training and policy advocacy, but with a broader child-welfare mandate beyond fostering.
• NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children): The UK's largest children's charity, addressing child welfare through helplines (NSPCC Helpline), training, policy advocacy, and direct services. Comparable in the broader children's social services sector and as a third-sector organization of similar scale and influence, but with a much wider scope than fostering.
• Barnardo's: One of the UK's largest children's charities, operating fostering services, residential care, and family support programmes. Comparable as a large UK charity working in fostering and looked-after children, with overlapping membership/training/policy functions but at much greater scale.
• The Children's Society: Major UK children's charity working with vulnerable children including those in care, providing advocacy, direct services, and policy influence. Comparable in scale and remit as a national children's charity but with a broader scope including exploitation and youth homelessness.

Emerging players

• Become (formerly Who Cares? Trust): UK charity supporting children in care and care leavers through advice, advocacy, and policy work. Comparable as a specialist third-sector organization working with looked-after children, with overlapping advocacy and policy functions but focused on the child rather than the foster carer.
• Family Rights Group: UK charity providing advice, training, and policy advocacy for families involved with child welfare services. Comparable as a smaller, specialist third-sector organization providing advice lines, training, and policy influence for families in the care system.
• Coram: UK charity supporting children and young people through adoption services, family support, and research (CoramBAAF, Coram's Fields). Comparable in the children's social services space with adoption and family support functions overlapping with The Fostering Network's membership and advice offerings.
• PAC-UK (Post Adoption Centre UK): UK charity providing specialist support for those affected by adoption and permanent placement. Comparable as a niche membership-and-advice charity in the alternative-care sector, with overlapping training, helpline, and advocacy functions but focused on adoption rather than fostering.

Direct peers

• Adoption UK: UK charity providing support, advice, and community for adopted people, adopted families, and those affected by adoption. Directly comparable as a membership-and-support charity for an alternative care pathway (adoption vs. fostering), with overlapping member benefits, helplines, training, and policy advocacy functions.
• TACT (The Adolescent and Children's Trust): UK fostering and adoption charity providing fostering services, training, and support to foster carers across the UK. Comparable as a sector peer offering fostering placement services, training programmes, and advocacy — though operating as a provider rather than a membership body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fosteringnet
• Facebookfacebook.com/thefosteringnetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-fostering-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/thefosteringnetwork

Compliance2 records

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 The Fostering Network