Become a Fostering Friendly Employer

How Leicestershire businesses and organisations can support children in care by becoming Fostering Friendly Employer (FFE).

Young boy and girl playing together

The Fostering Friendly Employer scheme

The Fostering friendly employer scheme offers businesses and organisations of any size to make a difference to foster carers and the children they care for in their local communities. By implementing the policy, organisations are committing to improve support for their existing foster carers and any prospective foster carer employees.

Fostering Friendly Employer Brochure PDF, 1.13 MB Opens new window

Importance to Leicestershire

With over 700 children and young people in the care of Leicestershire County Council, it has never been more urgent that, as a county, we address this issue. We need to ensure that we are consistently providing the best fostering families for our looked after children in Leicestershire, to ensure they are not moved out of the county and away from their friends and family.

Your organisation is part of the rich and diverse fabric of Leicestershire, and may provide services to, or employ, someone with the desire to begin fostering.

Becoming a Fostering Friendly Employer can have a big impact on employee recognition and support, as well as providing you with an opportunity to show your commitment to Leicestershire and your wider corporate social responsibilities. There is no direct cost to join, and your organisation will receive full support from Leicestershire County Council and The Fostering Network.

Being a Fostering Friendly Employer demonstrates that you are a responsible company, with a long-term commitment in the area. 

Benefits for your organisation

As a Fostering Friendly Employer, you will be demonstrating your commitment to Leicestershire: 

  • Your support will directly improve the wellbeing of the children and young people in care of the local authority, as well as any employees who are foster carers
  • You can display the Fostering Friendly Employer logo with pride
  • Your organisation will be added to the ever-growing list of employers who have invested in their local community and their staff wellbeing

The best candidates will be attracted to working for your business (as this policy demonstrates your commitment to supporting staff). Supporting staff helps to build morale, and could also help with staff retention and cost of living. You will also benefit from:

  • Information and advice about fostering
  • Supporting employers to understand the needs of employees who foster
  • Template foster carer friendly HR policies and advice
  • Opportunities to share good practice and national recognition of good practice at the annual Fostering Excellence Awards

We're also inviting employers to celebrate and support fostering by:

  • Promoting fostering and making information about how to become a foster carer available, for example to staff and customers
  • Hosting information sessions about fostering
  • Supporting Foster Care Fortnight, the annual campaign to raise awareness of fostering and encourage new foster carers to come forward
  • Supporting care leavers as they move into employment

Becoming a Fostering Friendly Employer

Welcome pack

Your welcome pack from The Fostering Network will provide all the information you need to get started. They will work with your HR department to support your Fostering Friendly policy process, from creation to implementation.

Your membership

You can now celebrate your new status as a Fostering Friendly Employer!

You will be added to The Fostering Network’s list of Fostering Friendly Employers, and they will celebrate your new status. You will then be able to add the new policy as one of the many benefits of working for your company.

Our team can promote your new status via our social media platforms.

Find out about fostering

To spread the word about fostering with Leicestershire County Council, we can send you branded physical and digital literature to distribute amongst staff and/or customers.

We can also hold a fostering information event or pop-up stall either at your premises or virtually to spread the word of fostering with Leicestershire County Council to your staff and/or customers. Alternatively, you can invite us to talk at any team meetings or events.

Enquire about becoming a Fostering Friendly Employer

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You can also contact us on: 0116 305 05 05

What some of the current Fostering Friendly Employers say

Foster carers play an extremely valuable role in our communities, providing care and stability for often very vulnerable children. We are proud to be able to help colleagues who take on this role by giving them the time and support they need to undertake such an important and worthwhile commitment.

Person:Judith Nelson, Director of HR, Tesco 

At O2 we recognise that foster carers make a huge difference to the lives of the children in their care. We want to make it as easy as possible for our people to manage their foster care commitments, whilst balancing their job responsibilities, and are pleased to be able to support our people who take on such a rewarding and worthwhile role.

Person:Ann Pickering, HR Director, O2 

Further reading