Family Matters Fostering Ltd is an Independent Fostering Agency, established in 2000 who believe that the very best environment for a child to grow up in is a family.  However, not all children are fortunate enough to be able to live with their own families, and they need alternatives.  We provide an alternative extended family for foster carers and children alike, so the carers, as well as the children, are really well looked after.   We recruit and train 'substitute families' to provide foster care for these children.  It costs you nothing to become a foster carer with us and we pay you good money when you have a child or children placed with you! Looking after children, particularly other people’s children who may well be traumatised by their past experiences, can be stressful and exhausting.  Traditionally, practical help and advice has been available to families from Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and trusted family friends. This was not easily possible in the legal Fostering framework until Family Matters recreated this extended family by using full and part time carers, enabling the main foster carers to share the load, and benefit from the friendship and support of other qualified foster carers of all ages.  Family Matters foster carers may be single people or couples, with or without children of their own. Our carers have children living with them full time and are given regular time off whilst the children are looked after by our carer support workers. This means that the fostered children benefit from healthy relationships with a variety of interested and motivated adults, both young and old, who look after them one evening a week, as well as arranging some daytime trips. Our senior carers work closely with each carer giving informal support and advice, and our social workers supervise and give more formal back up. At Family Matters the pay is good for both full time and part time foster carers, and all full time foster carers are entitled to fully paid holidays when the foster children are looked after for them. We run an excellent on-going training programme, using recognised experts in their subjects.  If you have had a tough childhood or had some difficulties with your own children while they were growing up – put it to good use and foster with us! Family Matters is registered with Ofsted and approved by all local councils.  This means that we receive regular rigorous inspections, and meet the high standards expected by these professional bodies. We give outstanding help, support and training to our carers, so they can give their very best to the children they look after. To be a Family Matters Foster Carer you need room in your heart, your home and your life for a child who is not having it easy!  This is where it starts: Call or email us to arrange a meeting to discuss how this would work for you and your family 0845 226 9480 or mail@fosteringagency.com