Fostering Agency UK
Who We Are
- Who are Changing Futures Fostering?
- How did our agency start?
- Why should you choose Changing Futures Fostering?
We’re Changing Futures Fostering – a not-for-profit agency rated as “Good” by Ofsted. We work with foster parents in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar, Stockton, Darlington parts of Durham and up towards Sunderland and Washington – basically about 40 minutes or so from our office base in Hartlepool.
We’re entirely owned by a Charity, Changing Futures North East, which means we are beyond profit – every penny is spent on helping local children and families (which is morally how it should be). We aren’t a flash agency with company cars and six-figure salaries. We’re a community organisation, started by an experienced Charity, that really does care about children and young people and puts them first. We think the fostering ‘marketplace’ needs a shakeup and that all children should be placed with agencies that place children before profit. Our aim is to be a disruptive factor in the local, profit-making dominated, fostering market.
The roots of Changing Futures began to form around 25 years ago when the Charity opened an estate-based youth club. Over time, this broadened out into specific help for young people with challenges and then to helping their parents and wider families too. Fostering is a natural step in our journey and in line with our mission to improve the lives of children and young people through key relationships that matter to them – in this case, through foster carers (or parents) applying a therapeutic fostering model.
Our commitment to building communities began 25 years ago; it was the collective effort of local parents that drove the creation of the parent Charity. This has helped us focus on building interconnected networks of foster parents who support each other and who are supported by staff – relationships are the magic ingredient in the fostering household and in the fostering agency!
Because we’re owned by an active Charity, young people have been and can be supported through a range of complimentary services. They have access to employment advice and support in education and training. We can help bridge to semi-supported accommodation from fostering through one of our local partnerships. We’re always working to extend our help and hope to be able to offer targeted therapies as time goes on.
Our experienced team is there to support you every step of the way. Sarah, our registered Manager, has a wealth of experience in fostering, and both Sarah and our Supervising Social Worker, Mark, have many, many years of experience in children’s social care. Fiona, our administrator, has lots of business administration experience and helps make sure that payments to foster parents run smoothly and that references and vetting proceeds in the quickest time possible.
Choosing Changing Futures Fostering means joining an agency that provides a local, accessible, and relationship-focused fostering experience. Our competitive fees and support package ensures you have the security and stability to focus on what truly matters – the children, their happiness and their development. We take pride in our child-centred approach, prioritising the well-being and prospects of the children we serve above all else. Our commitment to being a not-for-profit agency reaffirms that every resource at our disposal is dedicated to creating brighter futures for our children, not corporate profits.
Join us in our mission to change fostering for the better. Together, we can make a real and lasting impact on the lives of those who matter most.