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Independence statement
Our independence statement
fostering.org.uk is an independent, privately-run information service. We are not part of the government, a local authority, Ofsted, or any fostering agency, and we do not provide fostering services ourselves.
Written by Sam Allcock · Last updated 24 August 2026
What we are
fostering.org.uk is an independent information website operated by Domain Farm Ltd, a private UK company (company number 13544286, VAT GB435224124), registered office Vantage House, Euxton. We publish original, sourced, dated content about fostering in the UK - allowance figures, eligibility guidance, process explanations, and comparisons between fostering routes - and, in future, a directory of fostering services rated on their published Ofsted inspection outcomes.
What we are not
- Not a local authority. We have no statutory role in assessing, approving or placing foster carers or children.
- Not an independent fostering agency (IFA). We don't recruit, train or place foster carers, and we're not owned or funded by any IFA.
- Not Ofsted. We don't inspect or regulate fostering services - Ofsted does, and where we report a rating, we cite Ofsted's own published report and date it.
- Not part of central government. We have no affiliation with the Department for Education or any other government body, and nothing on this site is official government guidance.
- Not a charity. We are a private company, and we're upfront about that rather than presenting ourselves as a charitable or voluntary organisation.
Why independence matters, specifically for this topic
Fostering pay and eligibility information affects real decisions about a child's welfare, and every commercial IFA site we reviewed has a structural incentive to show only its own favourable weekly figure, without the "this is not a salary" reality - no sick pay, no holiday pay, no pension, payment stops between placements - attached. We built this site specifically because that gap exists, and because we believe a prospective carer deserves the full picture before they enquire anywhere, not after.
What using this site does not do. Reading fostering.org.uk, using our eligibility self-check, or our allowance calculator has no bearing on any real fostering application. It does not speed up, slow down, or influence an assessment in any way. Approval is decided solely by the local authority or agency carrying out your assessment.
How we make money
Currently, through simple advertising. As the site grows, we plan to introduce flat-fee sponsored listings for fostering services in our future directory - decided and disclosed in advance, never a pay-per-lead arrangement and never a live bidding auction for placement, because either of those models would give us a direct financial incentive to point a prospective carer toward whoever pays the most rather than whoever genuinely suits them. We are never paid by prospective foster carers - using this site is, and always will be, free. See our full about page for more.
Editorial independence
No advertiser, sponsor or future directory listing has editorial input into our content. Facts, figures and comparisons are researched and written according to our published methodology, independently of who does or doesn't advertise with us.
How to verify this yourself
Domain Farm Ltd's official company record, including its registered office and filing history, is publicly available on the UK's Companies House register. [Companies House, Domain Farm Ltd, company number 13544286]
Frequently asked questions
Is fostering.org.uk part of the government or a local authority?
No. fostering.org.uk is operated by Domain Farm Ltd, a private UK company. It is not part of central government, not a local authority, and has no statutory role of any kind.
Does using fostering.org.uk affect my chances of being approved to foster?
No. Approval is an independent statutory assessment carried out by a local authority or a registered, Ofsted-regulated fostering agency. Using this site has no bearing on that process.
Is fostering.org.uk owned by an independent fostering agency?
No. fostering.org.uk is not owned, funded or controlled by any independent fostering agency, local authority fostering service, or fostering sector body.