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Foster care

Around 280 children in Portsmouth are currently in full time foster care, but many more foster carers are needed to provide children who can no longer live at home with a stable loving family experience.

The reasons for them coming into care are very different. They may need temporary short-term placements ranging from a few days to a few years. But a large number need permanent long-term foster care, so we need people like you who will stick by them and see them through to adulthood.

Portsmouth is currently in need of at least 40 more foster placements to ensure local children can be looked after close to their own schools and communities.

Here you'll find information about fostering, the different types of foster care, levels of foster care, information on becoming a professional foster carer, our Family Link scheme and private fostering.

You can also download our information brochure, which gives you more detail about fostering, and our application form should you decide that you would like to become a foster carer for us.

If you're interested in becoming a foster carer, please contact our family placement team on 023 9282 9846 or email fostering@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.

This is a big decision - so take your time, read all the information and please call us if you have any questions.

Associated documents:

  Fostering information booklet  (0.71 MB)
Application form  (0.14 MB)
Cameron Fergus, family link manager, talks about fostering (courtesy of Express FM)  (8.25 MB)

Foster care

What is fostering?
Types of foster care
Different levels of foster care
Professional foster care
Family Link scheme
Private fostering