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Find a fostering service near you
Every fostering service in England is registered and inspected by Ofsted, and you can approach any of them directly, for free. Here is how to find them today, and how to choose well.
Written by Sam Allcock · Last updated 24 August 2026
The two routes, and where to find each
1. Your local council. Every local authority in the UK has a fostering service and recruits carers directly. Search your council's name plus "fostering", or find your council through GOV.UK's fostering pages. Councils place children directly, so carers fostering for their council are often the first to be considered for local placements.
2. Independent fostering agencies (IFAs). Over 300 independent agencies also recruit and support foster carers. The complete official list, with inspection reports for every registered service, is on Ofsted's reports site - search for fostering services in your area and read the actual inspection reports before you commit to anyone.
How to choose between them
The honest answer is that neither route is universally better: councils typically place children sooner and keep you close to local decision-making, while agencies typically pay more and offer more intensive support, especially for complex placements. We wrote a full, neutral comparison that no agency could publish: council vs independent agency, compared honestly.
Questions worth asking any service
- What was your last Ofsted inspection outcome, and can I read the report? (You can - every report is public.)
- What is the full allowance and fee breakdown, in writing, and what is it when I have no placement?
- What training and out-of-hours support do you actually provide?
- How many children are currently waiting for placements in my area?
- What happens if I want to transfer to another service later?
Our independent agency directory
We publish an independent directory of every Ofsted-registered independent fostering agency in England - all 343 of them, organised by region, each with its latest published inspection outcome and a link to the full report. Every agency is listed and displayed identically: nobody pays to appear, and nothing is ranked by payment. Start with the full directory or jump straight to your region.
Frequently asked questions
Does it cost anything to apply through a council or an agency?
No. Applying to foster is free through every registered route. Nobody legitimate charges you to apply, and this site never charges you for anything.
Can I apply to more than one service?
You can approach several to compare, but you can only be assessed by one service at a time. Choosing before assessment starts is exactly why comparing first matters.
Is fostering.org.uk a fostering agency?
No. We're an independent information service. We don't place children and we're not part of government, a local authority, Ofsted or any agency.