If you live in Hertfordshire and you are thinking about fostering
Then we are the Hertfordshire agency for you. According to the Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children, Looked After Children and Care Leavers Annual Report 2017-2017, there are currently just over 900 children in care in Hertfordshire with over 300 (33%) of these children being placed out of county.
Why Choose To the Moon and Back Foster Care
We are a forward-thinking independent fostering agency based in Kings Hedges, Cambridge. We have a team of wonderful local social workers and therapists. We believe that everyone involved with To the Moon and Back Foster Care has the ability to influence positive change and our continuous improvement. We emphasise equal partnerships and achieve effective team work.
Ethical organisation
Holistic and therapeutic approach
Warm caring team
Successful matching process
Competitive financial support
Trauma informed development
We are a friendly approachable local independent foster agency. We offer development packages tailored to individual foster carers, whether you are new to fostering or an experienced foster carer, we recognise we all learn in different ways and at different speeds. We hold conferences close to our foster carers where we come together with a range of local professionals and learn from key experts about best practice and the latest research (link to the last conference)
We offer financial support with extra costs associated with the arrival of new children, for clothing and toys. We are a self-invested company and have no other shareholders. We therefore make local decisions about the development of our service including the future investment in our agency. We offer very competitive allowances to our foster carers for their skill and dedication. We focus on the well-being of our team and providing an outstanding service, ensuring when you need extra support you have it.
Our locations
We are a forward thinking independent fostering agency looking for foster carers in Hemel Hempstead, Bishop’s Stortford, Stevenage, Watford and St Albans. We have a team of wonderful local social workers and therapists and we believe that everyone involved with To the Moon and Back Foster Care has the ability to influence positive change and continuous improvement.
Hemel Hempstead
Bishop’s Storford
Stevenage
Watford
We can help you with answering questions about fostering with us, regardless of where you are in Hertfordshire. You can call us directly and we can talk over the phone, or you can arrange to come along to one of our local drop in information events.
How do you apply to be a Foster Carer with us in Hertfordshire
We are looking for people who are willing to go to the moon and back for children, treating the child as they would their own child supporting him or her to achieve their true potential in life. We emphasise equal partnerships and achieve effective team work and we feel very strongly that all looked after children in Hertfordshire should have the same life chances as every other child and that being a looked after child should not reduce their life opportunities or outcomes.
Initial assessment
Once we have spoken with you, we will arrange a friendly visit to your home to answer your questions and reassure you that your home meets the standard for fostering.
Formal Application
When you are ready, complete and submit an application form and we will undertake the regulatory checks (DBS references and local authority checks) on your behalf.
Formal Assessment
You will work closely with one of our social workers who will get to know and understand more about you and your family and help you to learn even more about fostering.
Our training
You will need to undertake our mandatory training course called “skills to foster” which covers a variety of fostering and child development related subjects.
The Panel
Once your assessment has been finished, you will meet our Panel, they will ask you some questions and check everything is complete and you are prepared for fostering.
Formal Approval Process
Once formally approved to foster you will be approved for categories and ages of children. You will receive an induction and ready to commence fostering.
We can help you with answering questions about fostering with us, regardless of where you are in Hertfordshire. You can call us directly and we can talk over the phone, or you can arrange to come along to one of our local drop in information events. Following a discussion if you still feel fostering is for you, we will arrange to meet you in your home to talk again. Only when you are sure you want to become a foster carer with us will we suggest you complete our application form. To be clear, there is no commitment on your part until you have completed and submitted a formal application form and only when we have received your application will we commence the assessment process. At that point we will have assessed that you meet all of the basic requirements needed to become a great foster carer in Hertfordshire. The full assessment process is very detailed to fulfil child protection requirements so that we can be sure you are able to care for a vulnerable young person.
We will allocate an assessing social worker who will meet with you locally in your home in Hertfordshire. This person who works for To the Moon and Back will support you throughout the assessment process and when it is finished will submit it to our Independent Panel. The full process of becoming a new foster carer is fully explained in the link below.
Apply to be a Foster Carer
We have an administration office and use local office and meeting space around Hertfordshire so that our foster carers have local spaces to meet for coffee and undertake training and development. We are happy to chat informally over the phone and answer any questions you may have or meet you in your home or a local office
Find out more about fostering with us in Hertfordshire
We appreciate that you will have considered fostering for a while before wanting to talk further about it. We know it is a big decision for you and there is no rush on our part, we will take as long as you like for you to make the biggest decision to change a childs life.
As a minimum you need to have a dedicated bedroom available in your home that can be used by a foster child so that they have space they can call their own.
What others say about us
Dr Jocasta Webb Psychotherapist and counsellor