We Are Recruiting Foster Carers in and around West Sussex
West Sussex was looking after 1,051 children in February 2026. In April 2018 the figure was 690. That is a rise of just over half in under eight years.
The county’s fostering capacity has not moved with it.
Ofsted rated us Outstanding
In January 2026 Ofsted inspected South Coast Fostering and rated us Outstanding in all three judgement areas: the experiences and progress of children, how well children are helped and protected, and the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector raised no requirements and no recommendations.Their summary: “The independent fostering agency provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good.”
We look after just over 20 fostering families and we intend to stay small. The reason we can work like this is that nobody here carries a caseload they can’t do justice to.
What we pay West Sussex foster carers
£479.50 a week for a child aged 0 to 10. £507.50 a week for a child aged 11 and over. Per child, every week, whether the placement lasts a fortnight or five years.Caring for a child with additional needs pays £550 to £850 a week. Parent and child placements, where you support a young parent and their baby together, pay £987 a week. We also contribute between £330 and £1,500 a year towards your council tax, rising the longer you foster with us.
Most fostering income is tax free under HMRC’s qualifying care relief. Ask us and we’ll go through the numbers with you properly, including what your household would actually take home.
The support behind it
Your supervising social worker visits at least every four weeks and sees the child at least every eight. That’s a floor, not a target, and in practice it’s usually more.There’s telephone advice twenty four hours a day, every day of the year, including a dedicated out of hours team. Fostering doesn’t keep office hours. Placements break down at eleven at night, not at half past two on a Tuesday.
Training runs from before you’re approved and carries on afterwards, funded by us.
Where West Sussex’s shortage actually bites
The council’s own budget monitoring for March 2025 tells the story in two lines. In-house fostering was running 197 placements against 214 budgeted, seventeen short. Independent fostering agency placements were running 238 against 143 budgeted, ninety five over.West Sussex also reported using more than 75% of its foster carer households consistently, with utilisation as high as 92% in some areas. A service running that full has no slack when a placement ends at short notice.
At 31 March 2024, 213 of the county’s 906 children in care were placed outside the boundary and more than twenty miles from home.
Who you’d be working with
Sally Barnett is our registered manager. She fostered before she managed, which changes the tenor of most conversations. Ofsted named her in the January 2026 report.Richard Norwood is our director and Melanie Yearwood is our responsible individual.
Do you qualify?
Most people who assume they can’t foster, can. You don’t have to own your home, be married, be under 55, or have children of your own. You can work, though you’ll need genuine flexibility during the day.You will need a spare bedroom for most placements. Babies are the exception: a newborn can sleep in a crib in your room at the start.
If you live inland, towards Midhurst or Petworth, a car is essential. Contact sessions and health appointments can mean several trips a week.
Already fostering somewhere else?
Transferring is more straightforward than most carers expect, and because you’re already approved it moves faster than a first assessment. If you have a child in placement, a transfer protocol meeting protects their stability throughout. Read more about transferring to South Coast Fostering.Where we cover in West Sussex
Crawley, Chichester, Worthing, Horsham, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Shoreham, Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath.Talk to us
Call 023 8235 2020, or send a message on WhatsApp if that’s easier. The first conversation takes about fifteen minutes and commits you to nothing at all.We’d rather you asked the awkward questions now than found out later.
Values that lead us
01
Doing the right thing, not the easy thing
If something is the right thing to do, then we will always do it, even if it is difficult.
02
Treat Carers As Professionals
We are shocked when we hear how poorly some foster carers have been treated by their fostering service. At SCF we always treat carers as professionals.
03
Family
We see ourselves as one big family. This means we have a deep underlying respect for each other.
04
Always be learning
We see everyday, and every incident as a chance to learn and develop. We help carers and staff reflect on how their actions affect others.
book a call about fostering:
We’d be happy to give you a 15-20 minute call to tell you about fostering. Don’t worry, there’s no pressure from us – it’s honestly a chance for you to ask us any questions you have about fostering, and your suitability. Just complete this short form
Who we Work With
How can you help?
The following are a few ways in which you can help us, and children in your local community.
Talk to your friends about fostering
If you can’t foster yourself you could talk to your friends and family to see if they can. We will actually reward you for anyone that becomes an approved carer for us.
Give a helping hand to a care leaver
Care leavers might need a helping hand, we have some ideas about how to help
book a call about fostering:
We’d be happy to give you a 15-20 minute call to tell you about fostering. Don’t worry, there’s no pressure from us – it’s honestly a chance for you to ask us any questions you have about fostering, and your suitability. Just complete this short form
Why Fostering Truly Matters
Fostering is not about grand gestures. It is about the quiet, steady presence that helps a child begin to feel safe again. It is the reassurance at bedtime, the encouragement before a school day, and the patience shown when trust takes time to build.
For many children, foster care provides the first experience of consistent routines and dependable adults. The impact of that stability can shape how they see themselves and the world around them. Small moments — shared meals, conversations in the car, help with homework — often become the foundations of confidence and resilience.
Foster carers do not change a child’s past, but they can influence their future. By offering safety, structure and understanding, you help create the conditions in which children can grow, learn and begin to believe in their own potential.
Choosing to foster is a commitment, but it is also an opportunity — an opportunity to provide security where there has been uncertainty, and encouragement where there has been doubt. With the right support around you, fostering can be one of the most purposeful and meaningful roles you ever take on.