Could you foster? Would you adopt?

Nottingham City Council is THE agency that provides for the needs of children who come into care in Nottingham. New foster carers and adopters are always needed to help look after these children.

There are four normal outcomes for the children who come into the authority’s care;

• They are moved into a foster home
• They return to their own family or to other relatives
• They move into long-term foster care
• They need the long-term security offered by adoptive parents

It’s important to understand the key difference between fostering and adoption.

• Foster carers look after children on behalf of Nottingham City Council. The Council remain closely involved by providing support and allowances for the child and carers.
• Adopters legally become the new parents of the child

Children for whom we are seeking foster carers at the moment are of all ethnic backgrounds and of all ages, from 0-18. Foster carers may volunteer to look after children for short or long term placements. Great care is taken to ensure that each child placed is suited to the receiving family's current arrangements. The greatest need we have is for carers prepared to take boys aged ten plus or groups of 2 or more brothers and sisters.

Children placed for adoption may be of any age. The majority are under ten years of age. On the completion of the adoption process they become permanent members of the adoptive family.

Thorough support and training is what we offer to ensure foster carers and adopters are successful in the task. At every stage of the process – assessment, preparation, first placement or adoption – we are there to assist and guide you and the young person to thrive as a new family.

Please consider whether you could work by fostering or adopting and so provide the support and security that these young people need.

Further information about adoption

Further information fostering

If you wish to receive an information pack about fostering and adoption, please call 0115 915 1234 (24-hr answerphone). Contact us between 9.00 am - 4.00 pm, if you wish to speak to someone in more detail.