Fostering
Fostering in Waltham Forest: Your 2025 Starter Guide
Thinking about becoming a foster carer in Waltham Forest this year? Brilliant. This borough needs more safe, stable homes for local children—and if you’ve got empathy, resilience and a spare room, you’re already further along than you think. This guide brings together the essentials for 2025: who can apply, how the application process works locally, what allowances and support look like in London, and practical answers to the questions people ask most. Where we reference specific facts (like who to call to start), we’ve included sources so you can double-check and take action today.
Why Waltham Forest needs more carers in 2025
Like many London boroughs, Waltham Forest faces rising placement demand—especially for teens, siblings, and children who need therapeutic, trauma-informed care. The council now works through Local Community Fostering, a northeast London collaboration designed to make it simpler for residents to enquire and to grow a strong local network of carers. If you’re ready to start a conversation, you can complete a short form or call 020 8496 3437 for an initial chat.
Local Community Fostering brings together six boroughs—including Waltham Forest, Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, Newham and Tower Hamlets—to coordinate recruitment and carer support across the area. That means clearer information, joint events and a single phone line to get started.
Who can foster here?
You don’t need to be married, own your home, or have previous professional childcare experience. Waltham Forest (via Local Community Fostering) welcomes applicants who are single or partnered, LGBTQ+, renting or owning, working or at home, so long as you can provide safety, stability and time. You’ll need the right to live and work in the UK, good health, a spare bedroom for each fostered child (with some exceptions for very young siblings), and a supportive network. The team will talk this through with you on the first call and guide you on any grey areas.
Allowances, fees and “how pay works” in London (2025)
Two important terms:
- Allowance – money intended to cover a child’s day-to-day costs (food, clothing, utilities, transport, school trips, hobbies).
- Fee/skill payment – an additional payment recognising your time, skills and professional commitment as a carer.
In England, there is a National Minimum Allowance (NMA) that councils must at least meet for the child’s allowance element. For 2025/26, the government confirmed an uplift for England, with London continuing to be a higher regional band than the rest of the country. Local authorities and independent agencies may pay more than the minimum, and many do.
In practice, your weekly “package” in Waltham Forest will usually combine:
- the child’s allowance at least meeting the NMA (London band), and
- a fee/skill element that can vary by the type of placement, your training and experience, and the child’s needs.
Sector data shows wide variation in fee rates across organisations, so always ask for a written breakdown separating allowance and fee so you can compare fairly.
Tip: If you see very high headline “weekly pay” figures online, check whether they’re quoting total package (allowance + fee + add-ons) and whether the rate reflects specialist placements rather than mainstream. Independent agencies often publish guide ranges to illustrate this difference.
What support looks like (training, visits, community)
When you foster with the council through Local Community Fostering, you’re linked into a local supervising social worker, regular visits, 24/7 support, and structured training (including Skills to Foster and specialist modules). The purpose of the hub model is to simplify recruitment and strengthen retention—backed by a national move to expand recruitment hubs so applicants have a single, clear route in. Expect information events, local meet-ups and stories from carers who live in your neighbourhood.
The application process in Waltham Forest (step-by-step)
- Initial enquiry & eligibility chat
Use the short form or call 020 8496 3437. A recruiter will ask about your home, family, work pattern and support network, and explain what fostering involves day-to-day. If it looks like a fit, you’ll be invited to proceed. - Home visit & preparation
A social worker visits to look at the space, talk through safer caring, and answer questions about placement types, routines and contact with birth family. - Checks and assessment (“Form F”)
Standard checks include DBS, references, medicals and a detailed home study. You’ll complete training (e.g., Skills to Foster) and build a safer caring plan. Your assessor then writes the Form F report. (Time frames vary but the hub will keep you updated throughout.) - Panel & approval
Your assessment is reviewed by a fostering panel that makes a recommendation; the agency decision maker confirms your approval and the types of placements you’re approved for. - Matching and first placement
Once approved, the team discusses referrals with you, looking at needs, school travel, contact arrangements and your experience. You can say no to a match that isn’t right for your family; the goal is stable matches, not quick ones.
Types of fostering you’ll see locally
- Short-term – caring while plans are assessed (often months).
- Long-term/permanence – matched placements through to adulthood.
- Emergency – short notice, typically short stays.
- Respite – regular short breaks for another carer or family.
- Parent & child – supporting a parent and baby together while assessments are completed (specialist and highly supported).
- Therapeutic/complex – for children with higher support needs; training and payments are typically higher to reflect the role.
Local need is particularly strong for siblings (to keep brothers and sisters together) and for teens building independence. If you can offer two bedrooms and enjoy busy, lively homes, you’ll be especially valued.
Your home, bedroom and practical set-up
Most placements require a spare bedroom for each child. Exceptions can sometimes apply for very young siblings, but matching and safety come first; talk this through on your initial call. Think about storage, a desk or study space for homework, and how you’ll manage transport for school and contact. If you rent, you’ll usually need to show landlord consent; if you have pets, a sensible risk assessment (temperament, hygiene, boundaries) is part of the home study. The team will guide you—adaptations are often small and practical rather than expensive.
Money matters: claiming extras, equipment and mileage
Beyond the weekly allowance, you may be able to claim additional, evidenced costs like mileage for school runs and contact, equipment (cots, car seats), and event-related extras (e.g., birthdays and holidays) depending on the placement and local policy. Waltham Forest publishes a fees and allowances scheme that sets local expectations and child-centred items like savings for the child—your supervising social worker will go through this with you.
Work, tax and benefits—what to know
Many carers work part-time or have flexible roles that fit school hours and appointments; others foster full-time. In England, foster carers benefit from Qualifying Care Relief, a simplified tax scheme that means a large portion of fostering income is tax-free and record-keeping is straightforward. If you’re employed, speak to payroll early about any changes; if you’re self-employed, plan for self-assessment and keep simple, dated records of placements and receipts. (Local Community Fostering and training sessions cover the tax basics and point you to guidance.)
Frequently asked questions (2025)
How long does the process take?
The average assessment can run several months from enquiry to panel, with faster or slower timelines depending on checks, availability for training, and how quickly you can gather paperwork. The hub will give you a realistic plan after your home visit.
Do I need to live in Waltham Forest to foster for the council?
You’ll usually need to live in or near the borough so you can manage school travel, contact, meetings and reviews. If you live just outside the boundary but your daily routine links to Waltham Forest schools and services, ask the team—they recruit across the northeast London area through the hub.
Is council fostering better than an independent fostering agency (IFA)?
They’re simply different models. The council focuses on local children, local schools and contact, with support from your supervising social worker and multi-agency team. IFAs often handle wider-area matches and may publish higher combined packages for certain needs. Compare training, support, respite, out-of-hours, and total package (allowance + fee + add-ons) rather than a single headline number.
What if I’m renting or have a smaller home?
Plenty of carers rent—what matters is safety, stability and space. You’ll need landlord consent and a room that works for the child’s privacy and routine. The assessor will help you think through storage, bedtime routines and study space.
Can I foster if I work full-time?
Yes, but placements need time for school meetings, training, contact and appointments. Some carers reduce hours or work flexibly; others co-parent with a partner whose hours are more home-based. Discuss your pattern on the first call to find a match type that fits.
Do I need special training?
You’ll start with Skills to Foster and then build from there: safeguarding, therapeutic care, education and SEN, safer internet use, etc. The hub approach is designed to standardise and strengthen the training pathway across participating councils.
How Waltham Forest’s “hub” approach helps you
Historically, fostering information could feel fragmented: different forms, different numbers, mixed messaging. Recruitment hubs fix that by giving residents a single, simple front door and a shared set of processes and standards—backed by national policy and investment to grow and retain carer communities. For you, that means quicker answers, more peer support, and a clearer sense of the journey from first enquiry to first placement.
Your first three months after approval: what to expect
- Placement matching done with you, not to you. You’ll be briefed on the child’s needs, education, contact and health plans, and you can decline if the match isn’t right.
- Regular visits and quick phone support. Expect structured supervision plus 24/7 support for urgent questions.
- Paperwork that’s doable. You’ll get templates for daily recordings, incident logs and expenses so admin doesn’t take over your life.
- Training that builds confidence. Short, practical sessions—often in the evening—help with real-world challenges like boundaries, teenage independence, or responding to anxiety.
Ready to take the next step?
If you live in or near Waltham Forest and want to explore fostering, the simplest way to start is to speak to someone local:
- Complete the short enquiry form on the Local Community Fostering site, or
- Call 020 8496 3437 and ask for an initial fostering chat.
A friendly team member will check eligibility, answer questions about your home and routine, and outline the next steps. If you’re ready, they’ll book a home visit at a time that works for you.
Final word
Fostering transforms lives—yours included. Waltham Forest’s 2025 approach is designed to make the path clearer, the support stronger, and the community around you bigger. If you’ve been on the fence, take one small step today: pick up the phone or fill in the form. Even if now isn’t the perfect time, that first conversation will tell you exactly what’s involved and how to prepare for when it is.