Family Matters Fostering Ltd is an Independent Fostering Agency in Kent, established in 2000.

We believe that the very best environment for a child to grow up in is a family. However, not all children are fortunate enough to be able to live with their own families, and they need alternatives. We provide an alternative extended family for foster carers and children alike, so the carers, as well as the children, are really well looked after. We recruit and train 'substitute families' to provide foster care for these children.

Looking after children, particularly other people’s children who may well be traumatised by their past experiences, can be stressful and exhausting. Traditionally, practical help and advice has been available to families from Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and trusted family friends. This was not easily possible in the legal Fostering framework until Family Matters recreated this extended family by using full and part time carers, enabling the main foster carers to share the load, and benefit from the friendship and support of other qualified foster carers of all ages.

Family Matters foster carers may be single people or couples, with or without children of their own. Our carers have children living with them full time and are given regular time off whilst the children are looked after by our carer support workers. This means that the fostered children benefit from healthy relationships with a variety of interested and motivated adults, both young and old, who look after them one evening a week, as well as arranging some daytime trips.