A fostering agency which supports children and fostering families in Newton is celebrating after receiving an ‘Outstanding’ from Ofsted following an inspection which took place in February this year.

Foster Care Associates (FCA), matches children in care with foster families throughout the North East of the UK and was commended by Ofsted for ‘helping children to settle, build trusted relationships with their foster families and feel loved and cared for’.

Comments from children and young people currently in care with FCA were collected for the report, which gives children the opportunity to give feedback on their foster parents.

One child said: “Life is amazing right now because I feel loved,” and another said “when I moved into care, yes, it was devastating. I always felt sad and angry. I moved to live with [foster parents]. Now I love life.”

The agency’s last  judgement in 2022 was ‘Good’ but has now improved its service to be outstanding in all areas. Ofsted highlighted the agency’s efforts to keep sibling groups together where possible and that care provided celebrates and supports their individual needs, including cultural heritage, complex health needs and disabilities.

Catherine Todd, registered manager at FCA in the north east, said: “Our foster parents are incredible people and it’s lovely to have the difference they make to children and young people everyday reflected in this report.

“We prioritise matching children with the right foster families for them and doing everything we can to help them feel loved, safe and secure.

“Children in care have often experienced more than many of us can imagine and we need more empathetic people with love to give to consider fostering so we can make a difference to even more children and young people throughout the North East.”

FCA works collaboratively with local authorities to provide appropriate care for children and young people and provides foster parents with access to nutritionists, therapeutic practitioners and a supervising social worker to provide advice and guidance.

Foster parents at the agency describe it as ‘like an extended family’, with one foster parent stating: “I think they are really supportive – everyone, the social workers, managers – and feel valued. They realise how difficult things can be and do support.”

At the time of the report FCA North East was supporting 147 children across 99 fostering households and 14 young people were on ‘staying put’ arrangements which is where young people stay with their foster family post-18.

Latest government statistics show the number of children in care has continued to rise over the last few years, with more than 83,000 in the system at the end of 2024, in the north east alone there are almost 6,000 children in care but this number is likely to have increased since data was released.

The team at FCA is inviting anyone interested in fostering in Newton to get in touch for more information by visiting the website https://www.thefca.co.uk/regions/north-east/ or calling 0800 098 4138.