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.

Importance to Leicestershire

With over 740 children and young people in the care of Leicestershire County Council, it has never been more urgent that we, as a county, address the increasing number of children and young people who need our help. Leicestershire needs to ensure that we are providing the best fostering families for our looked after children in Leicestershire, so they do not have to be moved out of the county away from friends and family. As this number continues to increase, you may wonder how this connects to you, your business or organisation.

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

Your Business or organisation is part of the rich and diverse fabric of Leicestershire. You may employ residents, provide services to residents and will be a vital part of the fabric of Leicestershire.   

Becoming a Fostering friendly Employer helps employers to support and recognise the roles of their employees who foster and involves no direct costs. It also provides an opportunity to show your commitment to Leicestershire along with demonstrating your corporate social responsibility. There is no cost to join, and you and your organisation will receive full support from Leicestershire County Council along with The Fostering Network. 

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 will provide all the information you need to get started. We will work with your HR department and The Fostering Network to support your Fostering Friendly Employer policy to be created and implemented.

Your membership

We will issue a media release to celebrate your new membership.

You will be able to add being a Fostering Friendly Employer as one of the many benefits of working for you.

Employee information

Leicestershire County Council will provide information to be shared with employees around the policy and how they can make a difference to the lives of Leicestershire children and young people in care.

Find out about fostering events

We will commit to holding a ‘Find out about Fostering’ event at your premises either in-person or virtually.

You can invite us to talk at your team meetings/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