Each week many local children need a family so we need foster carers from all backgrounds to provide stable and loving homes. 

Sheffield City Council would particularly like to recruit foster carers who are able to care for:
•    Teenagers 
•    Brothers and sisters
•    Children that will be in foster care long term
•    Children with additional needs. This might include behaviour that challenges. 
•    Parent and child placements– this is a different type of fostering where parents live with their children in foster carers' homes, enabling them to stay together and develop a strong bond.
•    Children who need care for the weekends and holidays.
We welcome new foster carers from all different backgrounds, you need to be over 21 and have a spare room to apply.

We value the contribution of our foster carers and offer a generous support package. This includes:

• Substantial financial allowances with clear progression and extra allowances for birthdays and holidays. 
• A comprehensive training programme including the ‘Skills to Foster’ course and ongoing development opportunities. 
• A social worker specifically allocated to you.  You can expect to have regular meetings which are a chance for you to talk through any problems and share information about children in your care. 
• A mentor, who is an experienced foster carer to offer you support in your first year.
• Access to psychological support services. 
• 24 hour support. 
• Support groups for you and your family. 
• Membership to the Fostering Network which is a great resource for foster carers. 
• On line support through our foster carer website.
• Social activities throughout the year.
• Plus lots more!

Staying local also includes additional benefits such as:

• Lower travelling distances, for example to school and meetings with birth families. 
• Links with local children’s services, schools and other professional services. 
• The benefit of our knowledge and experience as our teams have often been working with the children's families for a long time. We have a lot of important background knowledge which we can share with you. 
• Finding the best possible match for both the child and your family. We work hard to identify areas such as: age, gender, ethnicity and religion, shared interests, skills, experience, and hobbies, that will help build a bond and rapport between your family and the child.