As January approaches, people around the country begin to make resolutions of what they want to achieve in the new year. These resolutions may include taking a family holiday or moving house.
However, one resolution you should consider is starting your fostering journey. Whether you’re in a committed relationship, a single household, an empty nester, or a family with children still at home, there is nothing stopping you from turning 2026 into the year you enrich your life by welcoming a child into your home.
Why 2026 is the perfect time to start fostering
If you’re looking for the top reasons why you need to make 2026 your year to become a foster parent, look no further than the six reasons below.
To Fulfil the Increased Need for Foster Parents
In 2025, figures revealed that 81,770 children were living in care across England, which highlights the urgent need for new foster homes.
Wherever you’re located, and no matter your circumstances, if you have a spare room, you could make your house a haven for a foster child.
What’s more, there is an increased need for homes for older children and siblings. Young children are often fostered at a higher rate than teenagers or sibling groups. If you welcome a group of siblings who need a stable family, you’ll prevent them from being separated. And if you foster teenagers, you’ll support them through this crucial stage of life as they plan for the next chapter of living independently.
With the number of children needing safe and stable homes rising, we need more foster parents to provide them with the loving families they deserve.
You Will Transform a Child’s Life and yours
When you decide to become a foster parent, you open your home and life to a child who needs it, and this alone can transform their life for the better.
If your foster child has had a challenging past, welcoming them into your home gives them the opportunity to grow and learn in a supportive, warm environment. It provides your foster child with the chance to move away from trauma and abuse and be in a safe space.
Your own life experiences, skills, and background will be crucial in helping to secure a brighter future for a child. Only you have experienced the world in the way you have, which is vital for children to learn how diverse life can be for different walks of life. You can help them to look towards building a positive future for themselves.
Fostering also transforms your life. You will learn from your foster child, exploring new skills and opportunities. Fostering enables you to step outside your comfort zone, allowing you to develop parts of yourself that you may not have had a chance to before. Not to mention you will feel a growing sense of satisfaction when you see your foster children flourish under your care.
You Continuously Learn & Grow
By partnering with a specialist fostering agency such as Clifford House, you not only change a child’s life but also grow and develop your own life skills. Parenting boosts critical skills in areas such as conflict resolution and problem-solving.
If your child is facing obstacles at school, your problem-solving talent will come into play as you navigate, deal with, and overcome these issues in a positive way.
At Clifford House, we offer expert training for all of our foster parents throughout the fostering process. We don’t expect you to be already fully trained and ready to foster; instead, we’ll offer in-depth, tailor-made training which enables you to grow in confidence and build crucial relationships with your foster child and support network.
You’re Not Ready to Say Goodbye to Parenting
As an empty nester it can be difficult to feel like your parenting job has finished. Welcoming a new child to your home can be incredibly exciting and wonderfully rewarding. The chance to teach a child about the world, help them develop critical life skills, and experience life through fresh eyes is contagious.
If your adult children have moved on, welcoming a foster child can bring the noise and laughter back into your home. Even taking pleasure in small occasions, like reading a favourite book to a child or playing outside in the park, can bring joy to your life and, in turn, enrich your foster child’s life.
Flexibility
Say goodbye to a rigid work week. Fostering gives you flexibility, and no two days are ever the same. Your home becomes your office, and your job is to give every child in your care the love and attention they deserve throughout their time in your care.
As a foster parent, you’ll be self-employed, giving you the flexibility that you need to support foster children. You will also be entitled to significant tax-relief to help you on your fostering journey so that the children in your care get the help they need.
No One Regrets Becoming a Foster Parent
Even though parenting is a challenge, becoming a foster carer is something you will not regret. After all, how can you regret making a difference in a child’s life and changing their future for the better?
Often, the feedback we receive from foster parents is that they wished they had started fostering sooner!
From providing somewhere safe to spending time together having fun, and trying new activities, becoming a foster parent is a decision you’ll wish you’d made years before.
Helping a child grow up within a supportive and loving home is one of the most rewarding and enriching decisions you’ll ever make. Although not always easy, there is nothing more important than providing a child or young person with the safe space they need to overcome obstacles and trauma so they can thrive.
Start your fostering journey today
Curious about fostering? If you want to learn more about how to start your fostering journey, enquire today with our friendly team to discover what you can provide as a foster parent, and the support you’ll receive from Clifford House.