Why foster with us?
Our foster carers come first
We are responsible for placing every child in East Sussex who needs care, from newborns to teenagers.
81% of placements made in 2022/23 were with ESCC’s own carers. The remaining 19% who were placed with independent agency carers were those who we could not place with our own carers.
East Sussex Fostering Service always prioritises in-house carers first before placing a child with an independent agency carer.
Help and advice for you – day or night
- Every foster carer has a dedicated social worker who is locally based in East Sussex.
- 24-hour telephone helpline is available, 7 days a week, for help and advice.
Ongoing training
- Excellent training ensures you have the right skills to foster before you start.
- Further regular local training enables you to improve your knowledge and develop your skills to help your fostering journey.
Ongoing support for the child – all under one roof
- We offer joined up support – all under one roof.
- Each foster child has their own dedicated social worker.
- To help the child achieve at school, there’s advice, support and assistance. Additional teaching support is also available if needed.
- Children’s Mental Health Services are also on hand to provide support.
The support with East Sussex has been excellent. We’ve been supported all the way through.
Sarah – foster carer
Benefits of fostering with the East Sussex Fostering Service
- We always have local children waiting to be placed and offer all placements to our in-house carers first to make the best matches and ensure better outcomes for the children.
- We will only use carers from an independent fostering agency if we do not have enough foster carers of our own to match a specific placement.
- 2024 new training packages tailored to current foster carer needs.
- Out-of-hours support so you’re never alone facing difficult situations.
- Local support groups who meet up regularly.
- Knowing that we don’t make a profit from vulnerable children who need to be looked after. We’re a local authority, not a private company. No shareholders.
- If you have your own children, they can join our established YPWF (Young People Who Foster) group where they can enjoy events and activities which we fund throughout the year. We recognise and reward the positive impact they make to your fostered children too!
A network of support for you
- Individual membership to the Fostering Network and the East Sussex Foster Care Association.
- Social events for everyone in our foster care team – you, your children, the children you care for and professional colleagues.
- A specialist team who work alongside foster carers of young people 16+ to support their guidance to learn the skills they need to live by themselves when they are no longer in care.