Understand more about fostering

You are used to building relationships with pupils and the adults in their lives. It’s these connections that children make with trusted adults that help children to relax, share their feelings and worries, especially when they are going through changes at home.

Children in care often struggle to manage big emotions. Their behaviour can be a way of expressing feelings they can’t put into words. Your experience in calming situations, listening and helping children feel heard is invaluable and we’d like you to consider taking that one step further.

Finding out more about fostering could help with your knowledge base and confidence around the subject both in class and beyond the school gates.

  • There are fewer applications to foster than the number of children and young people needing safe, loving homes – both locally and nationally.  At East Sussex County Council, we have over 250 ‘in-house’ fostering families and when they are unable to welcome additional children into their homes, we work with independent fostering agencies. At the start of 2026 in East Sussex there are 700 children in care.
  • Every time we can’t find a local carer, a child may have to move away from their school and community. As someone working in an educational setting, you understand how vital stability is for children and you might know someone who could become a great foster carer nearby and help keep them close to familiar faces and places!

Areas to explore:

  • Why children and young people come into care
  • Fostering assessment process
  • Different types of fostering
  • Fostering flexibility and choices
  • Training and support
  • Allowances and payments
  • How the children of foster carers feel about growing up in a fostering household
  • Supporting 16+ teens to gain full independence

The more you know, the more you can talk about fostering – here’s where you can start

Footer Image2 Face Masks

Find out more