Could you help change a child’s life, one unforgettable moment at a time?

This summer, Hampshire County Council is renewing its call for more local foster carers with the launch of its latest campaign, which highlights the power of carers to change a child’s life, one unforgettable moment at a time. It comes as the County Council needs to find 150 new fostering households by the end of 2026.  

Councillor Roz Chadd, the County Council’s Cabinet Lead Member for Children’s Services, said: “Children’s experiences and memories are crucial in shaping their futures, and that’s why it’s so important for them to be able to grow up in a safe, loving environment. Our foster carers provide that stability and those important childhood moments, both big and small, that many of us are lucky enough to take for granted. For vulnerable children in foster care however, these moments really do have the power to change their lives for the better.  

“We always need new foster carers as people either eventually retire from fostering or their personal circumstances change. If you are aged over 21, have a spare room and want to give something back to your local community, please consider changing a child’s life by becoming a foster carer.”  

Commenting on the joy of making memories together, one local foster carer said: “Being a foster carer is so rewarding; to watch the children’s little faces experience things they never have before is something very special.” Another added: “It gives us the opportunity to make a positive difference to a young person, but we also benefit from that young person’s company and from our association with the wider fostering community.” 

Hampshire County Council’s Fostering Service welcomes foster carers from many different walks of life, including carers from the LGBTQ+ community and of different faiths, single carers, and people from different ethnic minority backgrounds. Carers are not required to own their own homes or to have previous childcare experience and will receive excellent training and competitive allowances. Ongoing support is provided by a dedicated social worker and via the Hampshire Hive project, a support network of local groups which create an ‘extended family’ for foster carers and their children in communities across Hampshire.  

Fostering opportunities include both short-term and long-term fostering; emergency and out-of-hours care; respite and home-from-home care designed to give families a short break from caring for children with disabilities; and parent and child fostering where a carer supports a young parent and their family. Carers can foster children and young people of all ages, from babies through to teenagers, as well as sibling groups and children with additional needs and disabilities.  

Visit the Hampshire County Council Fostering Service website to find out more about fostering, upcoming events, training and support, and details of how to contact the service.