Find Us In Birmingham
Our Local Office
-
Our West Midlands hub is the central office for our Birmingham-based foster parents.
-
-
01905 424 435
Do I Qualify to Foster in Birmingham?
We work with people from a wide range of backgrounds – single, married, working or retired.
There are a few essential requirements for fostering in Birmingham:
· A spare bedroom: every child needs their own private space
· Age: you must be at least 21 years old
· Residency: you must have the right to live and work in the UK
You don’t necessarily need to drive. You don’t need formal childcare qualifications – we provide the training and support you’ll need. And we actively welcome people from all cultural backgrounds, faiths and communities.
How Much Do Foster Carers in Birmingham Get Paid?
Fostering is a professional commitment, and the financial support reflects that.
· Weekly professional allowance: typically, around £482 per week
· Enhanced payments: up to £600 per week depending on the needs of the child or sibling group
· Tax benefits: fostering income is treated differently by HMRC, giving you a fixed tax exemption of £19,360 per year, plus an additional weekly tax relief for every child in your care
· Overall income: because these tax allowances combine, the actual fostering allowance Birmingham carers can earn is around £31,200 entirely tax-free
We’ll always be clear about what you can expect financially, so you can make an informed decision.
Events
Join Our Live Digital Q&A Sessions.
Learn all you need to know about foster care and what is required in our live Zoom Q&A sessions.
How to Become a Foster Parent in Birmingham
We aim to complete the fostering assessment in 4–6 months – thorough but not unnecessarily drawn out. Here’s what happens:
- Enquiry – speak to our local team or one of our Recruitment Ambassadors
- Home visit – an open conversation about your circumstances and what fostering involves
- Assessment & training – you’ll work with a dedicated social worker and begin therapeutic training
- Panel – your assessment is reviewed by an independent fostering panel for approval
- A Home for a Child – you’ll work with our Family Finding team to match with a child and begin your fostering journey
What Types of Fostering Are Available in Birmingham?
With over 2,000 children currently in need of fostering in Birmingham, there is a significant and growing demand for foster parents across the city and the wider region. Far too many children are waiting for a safe and loving place to call their home. We need Life Changer foster parents who are ready to step into these roles.
- Short-term fostering: providing a steady anchor during a time of transition
- Long-term fostering: committing to a child’s future until they reach adulthood
- Disability and complex needs fostering: taking care of children with significant challenges
- Parent and child fostering: caring for infants as well as their parents.
- Fostering siblings: ensuring brothers and sisters can stay together
What Support Will I Receive as a Birmingham Foster Carer?
When you foster with Compass, you’re not doing it alone. You become part of a professional community of Life Changers – supported by experienced social workers, local peer networks and regular reflective supervision.
That support matters. Because fostering is not about getting everything right. It’s about having the right people around you when things are difficult.
Your Senior Compass Fostering Birmingham Team
In Birmingham and across our great region, we pride ourselves on working together as one supportive team, with children and young people at the heart of everything we do. Compass are incredibly proud of the courage, care, and commitment shown by our foster parents, and of the life-changing opportunities they provide our children and young people in their care.
Our foster parents are supported by a dedicated team of social workers, therapeutic practitioners and Learning and Development professionals. This team works closely with foster carers, offering regular supervision, training, and guidance to support them throughout their fostering journey.
We also value connection deeply. Foster parents are encouraged to come together through our local groups, not only for shared learning opportunities and social activities, but to build meaningful relationships with strong support networks within our community." — Joy Hunt, Head of Fostering
Joy Hunt
Head of Fostering
Shingirai Chigwedere
Operations Manager
Nic Huntley
Operations Manager
Lisa Price
Operations Manager
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Fostering isn’t easy. But it’s one of the most important things you can do to transform the life of a child. If you’re ready to explore whether fostering could be right for you – and want to do it with a team that will have your back – we’d like to hear from you.
Fostering in Birmingham — Compass FAQs
The Fostering Basics
What fostering roles are in demand in Birmingham?
There is a significant need for respite care. We also have a high demand for carers who can accommodate siblings and large sibling groups, particularly those with two or three spare bedrooms. Carers who can support foster children with complex needs are also in high demand.
Which local authorities do you work with?
As a leading fostering agency in Birmingham, we work with a total of 24 local authorities in the wider region.
The Fostering Journey
Where will my training take place?
Training takes place across a number of locations near Birmingham, including Wolverhampton, Worcester and Telford. Training is entirely flexible, with both face-to-face and online options available.
Do I need to be able to drive?
Driving is not strictly mandatory, but it is highly preferred. You will be responsible for transporting children to school (which can sometimes be up to 20 miles away) and attending family time arrangements, which can be difficult to manage via taxis and other forms of public transport in Birmingham. If you do not drive, we can help you “buddy up” with other local carers, but you will need an exceptionally strong support network.
How long does it take to be approved?
The fostering assessment process typically takes around 4 to 6 months to complete in Birmingham, concluding with your approval at our fostering panel.
Once approved, how quickly can I welcome my first child?
The timeframe depends entirely on the preferences of the foster carer. Having a very tight preference may result in waiting longer, whereas a broader preference typically speeds up the matching process.
How does the matching process work and will I have a say?
A qualified supervising social worker supports decisions to identify a suitable match for you. Foster carers in Birmingham are consulted during the initial stages, and all relevant information is shared with them. Once a formal offer is made, you have the right to refuse. If you choose to accept, a placement or planning meeting is arranged to finalise the details.
Professional Support & Practicalities
Where are your local offices?
Our main office for the West Midlands region is located in Worcester. This, of course, covers Birmingham as well.
How often do I need to visit?
You will only need to visit occasionally, typically two or three times a year. These visits are usually for official meetings with the Ops team, trainers, or to drop off documents to be checked.
Who supports me out of hours?
You will be provided with a dedicated out-of-hours telephone number. Dialling this number connects you automatically and immediately to a support professional.
How often will my Supervising Social Worker visit?
Your supervising social worker will be based in or very near Birmingham. Initially, they will visit your home for supervision on a fortnightly basis. Over time, this will transition to monthly visits, though they will visit more frequently if required by your needs.
What support is available for more complex situations?
Foster carers in Birmingham receive one-to-one supervision from an allocated supervising social worker. Uniquely for our region, we also provide dedicated family support workers. We support a number of children with complex medical and health needs. To prepare and support our carers for these challenges, we provide bespoke packages of training. We also have an education service that works alongside our supervising social workers to provide advice and guidance.
Community, Events & Networks
Will there be other Compass foster parents near me?
We have 149 foster parents spread across a large geographical area ranging from Stoke to Somerset. However, our region is divided into 5 hubs to better support our families locally. We work hard to ensure all newly approved foster parents in Birmingham are connected through these hubs so you’ll definitely have access to other foster parents as well as our ambassadors.
Do you offer mentoring or buddy support?
Yes, we have an “Ambassador” network made up of experienced foster parents. We currently have about 5 or 6 ambassadors across our hubs and are actively recruiting more. Ambassadors provide support through phone calls, WhatsApp groups, and at support groups. They also offer informal, practical support, such as occasional help with daycare or transport.
What local events do you run?
We host formal support groups in or near Birmingham supported by our social workers, and our carers and ambassadors frequently arrange their own informal gatherings, such as carer breakfasts. We host long service awards to celebrate our carers’ dedication and organise various family days out. We celebrate seasonal events, such as Halloween pumpkin picking, Christmas events, and sending out Easter eggs. Birth children are always invited to our family events and are acknowledged equally.
How do you support diverse families and communities?
Because Birmingham is very culturally diverse, we celebrate Cultural Diversity Day and Harmony Day to reflect our communities. We host specific virtual “Rainbow Groups” to support families with LGBTQ+ children and to offer information to interested carers. These groups are separated to cater appropriately to adults and children. We also run Grace groups to further support the diverse networks within our fostering community.
