“The transfer to FCA was seamless. The children’s needs were the priority, and we felt fully supported every step of the way.”

Transferring with children already in your care

Lee currently cares for two children, aged 14 and 10, who transferred with him from the local authority. He understands that many foster parents worry about transferring with children already in their care but reassures them that the process is much smoother than they might expect.

“When we first thought about joining FCA, we held off at first because we wanted to be certain that both children in our care could come with us. If they couldn’t, we probably wouldn’t have made the move. But FCA made sure everything was handled properly, and the transition was seamless. The children’s needs were the priority, and we felt fully supported every step of the way.”

A smooth and seamless transfer process

Lee recalls how reassuring the process was when he first considered transferring: “Well, like I said, when I spoke to FCA, I threw loads of questions at them—I gave him all these scenarios, all these ‘what ifs.’ And every time, they just calmly said, ‘No, we can do that,’ or ‘Yes, that’s absolutely fine.’ It was great, and it really put my mind at ease knowing FCA had everything covered.”

Lee explains how smoothly the transfer process went once everything was in motion.

“We had our protocol meeting, and then things moved pretty quickly. We went to panel on December 17th, and as soon as it was over, they told us we’d been recommended for approval—they welcomed us with open arms! We gave our notice and then on  January 17th, we officially transferred over to FCA.”

Support and community at FCA

Lee shares how supportive the team at FCA has been since their transfer:

“My social worker is amazing; she’s made us feel really at home. I’ve been on a few of the fostering training courses and met other foster parents, it’s nice to see the same friendly faces at support groups, you all get to know each other. It makes things so much easier. If you’re having a challenge with a child, it’s great to talk to other foster parents. We’ve been in meetings where a parent shares a problem, and either Sara or I can say, ‘Oh, we’ve dealt with that too—have you tried this?’ At the same time, even after nearly 20 years of fostering, we’re still learning something new every day!”

“Coming here to FCA, everything felt so relaxed, and everyone really listens to each other. It’s a big change for us, but in a good way. What’s great is that even though the children still have their local authority social workers, I now have my own FCA social worker. It means there’s no conflict of interest. If we have an issue, I can speak to her, and she’s always ready to help—whether it’s sorting something out or finding a solution together. And even though I still have a lot of respect for the local authority social worker, FCA has created an environment where everyone truly invests in each other. When we moved to Telford, they knew my name right away, remembered my background, and even the training I’d done. I was surprised, considering we hadn’t seen each other in months. It’s really nice to feel like everyone is invested in the process and in making things work.”

When asked what advice Lee would give to others who are considering transferring to FCA, he responded: “By all means, do your research on FCA, but I can tell you, you won’t be disappointed. FCA is by far one of the best organisations out there. I’ve spoken to other foster carers at support groups and courses, and they all feel the same way. The support and community here are second to none.”