This page lists fostering agencies working across Nottingham, Leicester, Derby, Lincoln, Northampton, and the wider East Midlands region. Whether you are just starting to explore fostering or you are ready to take the next step, you can compare your options here in one place.
Children in Care Across the East Midlands
The East Midlands is home to a significant number of children in the care system. Across cities like Nottingham, Leicester, and Derby, and in smaller towns and rural communities throughout the region, children need foster carers at every stage of the care journey.
Nationally, just over 84,000 children are in care in England at any one time, out of nearly 12 million children living in the country. The East Midlands carries a meaningful share of that. Most of these children are in foster care placements rather than residential settings, which tells you how central foster carers are to the whole system.
Choosing Between an Independent Agency and the Local Authority
This is one of the first questions people ask, and there is no single right answer. Both independent fostering agencies and local authority fostering services are regulated by Ofsted, and both produce excellent foster carers.
Independent agencies tend to offer a more bespoke experience. Smaller caseloads for supervising social workers often mean more regular contact, faster responses, and a relationship that feels genuinely supportive rather than bureaucratic. Allowances at independent agencies can also be higher, though this varies.
Local authority fostering keeps children placed close to home, which matters enormously for maintaining school friendships, sibling contact, and family relationships. If your priority is caring for children from your local community, this can be the more direct route.
Practical Support You Should Expect
Before you are approved as a foster carer in the East Midlands, you will complete the Skills to Foster training programme. This covers the core areas you need to understand before a child moves in: child development, the impact of trauma, attachment, managing behaviour, and looking after your own wellbeing.
Once you are approved, the support continues. A good agency provides a supervising social worker who visits regularly, a 24-hour helpline for those moments that cannot wait until morning, access to ongoing training, and a network of other foster carers who understand what you are going through in a way that few others can.
Who Can Foster in the East Midlands?
The eligibility criteria for fostering are broader than most people expect. You do not need to own your home. You do not need to be married or in a relationship. You do not need a background in childcare or social work.
You do need to be over 21, have a spare bedroom, and have the legal right to live and work in the UK. People with managed health conditions, single people, same-sex couples, and people who work part-time all foster successfully across the East Midlands every day. If you have stability, patience, and genuine warmth, an agency will want to hear from you.
What Types of Fostering Are Available?
East Midlands agencies offer a broad range of fostering arrangements. Short-term fostering is the most common, covering the period while longer-term decisions are made for a child. Long-term fostering provides a permanent home for children who cannot return to their birth families. Emergency fostering requires flexibility and availability at short notice.
Short breaks fostering involves caring for another carer's child for a few days at a time, giving both the child and the carer a break. Parent and child fostering supports a young parent and baby together. Therapeutic fostering is a specialist area for children with significant histories of trauma.
How to Find Your Agency
The listings below cover agencies operating across the East Midlands. Read their profiles, check their Ofsted ratings, and look at the types of fostering they specialise in. There is no commitment involved in making an enquiry. Most agencies start with an informal phone call, and you can ask as many questions as you like.