We’re an award winning foster care agency recruiting foster parents in Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Worcestershire, North Kent, Northamptonshire and the Midlands
Mosaic Foster Care was founded on a simple belief: that foster families should never be left to cope alone.
Fostering has the potential to transform a child’s life - but only when the right support is in place. Too often, breakdowns happen not because people didn’t care, but because the right support wasn’t provided in time.
Mosaic aims to change that with a service where foster parents are supported consistently, children are matched carefully, and therapeutic input is available when it’s needed, not weeks or months later.
At the heart of our approach is a recognition that fostering is a professional role. It requires insight, emotional resilience, and the capacity to respond to complex needs within a team environment. We treat it as such - providing not only timely therapeutic support, but also ongoing professional development, reflective supervision and fair financial recognition.
We believe foster parents, children and local authorities all deserve a system that holds steady when it matters most. That belief guides everything we do - from how we train, match and support our foster families, to how we collaborate with professionals across the care system.
Mosaic is an Ofsted Outstanding Fostering Agency
- where ordinary people are empowered to make an extraordinary difference.
The Foster Children We Are Here For
Mosaic Foster Care works with children and young people who need far more than just a roof over their heads - they need time, trust, and therapeutic care that helps them recover, relate and thrive.
Most of the children referred to us are aged between 5 and 17. Many have experienced multiple placement breakdowns and early trauma and need support to rebuild a sense of safety and stability over the long term.
We do not offer placements for emergency, short term or parent-and-child arrangements. This isn’t because those children don’t matter - it’s because our model is specifically designed for children who benefit from a focused, long term placement that offers consistent, therapeutic care. Our foster families support children who:
- May present with emotional or behavioural needs linked to their past experiences
- Are ready (or nearly ready) to live in a family setting with therapeutic support
- Are unlikely to return to birth family, and need long-term or permanent care
- May need time and trust before engaging in therapy - and benefit from a home that allows space for that
We only accept referrals we believe our foster parents and fostering team can support effectively and sustainably. Our aim is never to place quickly, but to place well, and for the long term. You can read more about how we support our foster children here.
The foster parents we’re here for
Whether you're just starting to explore fostering and are not sure where to begin or you have been fostering for years and are looking to transfer to a therapeutic agency that will fully support you, please know you don’t need to have all the answers - just the heart to care and the willingness to grow.
We work with people from all walks of life across Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, North Kent and Worcestershire. People who want to make a long-term difference in a child’s life and need to know they’ll be properly supported while doing it.
We welcome foster parents who bring openness, empathy, and the capacity to offer consistent, reflective care. Some have experience working with children. Others are completely new to fostering. What they share is a willingness to work as part of a team, take on therapeutic guidance, and respond to challenges with compassion and stability.
Fostering is never easy. But with the right support, the right match, and the right mindset - it can be life-changing. For the child, and for everyone around them.
Our values in action
At Mosaic Foster Care, our values shape everything we do - not just in principle, but in practice. They guide how we support foster parents, how we respond to children, and how we work in partnership with professionals across the care system.
Here’s how our values come to life:
Trust
We keep our word - from first enquiry to long-term support. If we say we’ll do something, we do it. That consistency is what builds the confidence needed to care.
Reflection
Every child and family is different. That’s why we take time to listen, think together, and respond thoughtfully - not reactively.
Empathy
We support the whole family, not just the child in placement. That includes birth children, foster parents, our team and anyone else impacted by the fostering journey.
Stability
We’re not here for quick fixes. Our focus is on long-term relationships, careful matching, and keeping families strong through tailored, timely support.
Our annual fostering conference brings our whole foster care community together
Our annual conference is one of the ways we come together to learn, share and reflect on how our fostering community can better support the children and young people in our care. We consider how we can be leaders and role models in supporting recovery from trauma and we aim to encourage and inspire people to think therapeutically in achieving the best outcomes. Watch our highlights from 2025’s conference held at Rayleigh Country Club in Rayleigh, Essex. This event is attended by our foster parents, our team, prospective foster parents and professionals from the community including teaching and school support staff and psychologists.
These values shape our model, our training, and the way we show up when things feel difficult.
Recognition That Reflects Real Impact
We’re proud that Mosaic Foster Care has been shortlisted for two national awards in 2025, recognising the exceptional standard of care we strive to deliver every day.
Children & Young People Now Awards
2025 – Children in Care Award
Acknowledging our therapeutic, long-term approach that gives children the stability to heal, grow and thrive. The judges recognised Mosaic’s 92% placement-stability rate and our rapid therapeutic response that supports both children and foster parents within hours, not months.
Growing Business Awards 2025 – Management Team of the Year
Celebrating the leadership behind that success - a team that combines professional social-work expertise with a mission-driven culture, ensuring every decision begins with what’s best for the child.
We are very proud of these nominations, which are a solid affirmation that when foster parents are properly supported, children experience lasting security and brighter futures.
How our values work in practice
Our approach is built on care, not crisis. We don't rush children into families and we don’t leave foster parents waiting when things feel hard.
Instead, we focus on doing things well, doing them early, and doing them together.
That starts with thoughtful matching. Every child referred to Mosaic receives a needs-led assessment before introductions begin, and every foster parent is supported to understand how the child’s past might shape their present - and how we’ll support you in responding. When a child is placed, support begins straight away - not just for them, but for the whole fostering household.
Everything we do is underpinned by our SMILE therapeutic framework, giving foster families access to in-house therapists, specialist support workers and reflective supervision from day one. If something feels difficult, help isn’t weeks away - it’s just a phone call away.
We work this way because we believe it leads to better outcomes. And we’re proud that over 90% of children placed with Mosaic experience just one stable, long-term home. You can read more about our outcomes here.
Learn more about our approach to long-term, therapeutic fostering
Our goal is always long-term success.
And the data shows it’s working.
The people who walk beside you
Mosaic is led by a close-knit team of professionals with deep experience in social work, therapeutic care, fostering, and recruitment.
Our leadership includes experienced social workers, a psychodynamic clinical lead, a former foster parent, play therapists, and recruitment specialists - all working together to create the conditions for stable, well supported long-term foster care.
Our fostering team is led by Andre Palmer, our Director, Greg de Smidt, Mosaic’s Registered Fostering Manager, who brings over 30 years’ experience supporting children and families in care. Our clinical and therapeutic services are led by Aly Thompson, a psychodynamic organisational therapist with extensive experience in trauma-informed care and foster family support.
From the first phone call to ongoing reflective supervision, you’ll be supported by people who understand the challenges of fostering - and care about doing things properly. Many of us have lived, or have family experience of fostering, and all of us share the same goal: to provide foster families with consistent, compassionate support that genuinely makes a difference.
Working in partnership with local authorities
Mosaic works closely with local authorities across the UK to provide well-matched, therapeutically supported long-term foster homes for children who need them most.
We take time to understand the needs of each child referred to us - not just their behaviours, but the context behind them - and we work collaboratively to ensure our foster families are well prepared from the outset. We understand the pressures local authorities face. Our aim is to work in partnership - offering a reliable, transparent, and child-focused service that delivers strong, sustained outcomes for children and young people.
Ready for a conversation?
Whether you’re considering becoming a foster parent or exploring Mosaic Foster Care as a professional partner, our approach is open, honest and collaborative from the start.
Step 1: Open A Conversation
Step 2: A Thorough and Reflective Process
Step 3: A Supported, Long-Term Partnership
Want to learn more about working with Mosaic - as a foster parent or a professional partner?
Why getting it right matters
Fostering is too important to be left to chance.
When the right support isn’t in place - when foster parents are under-prepared, placements are rushed, or challenges are met with delay - it’s the children who feel it most.
That’s why Mosaic was created: to offer a better way. One built on realism, responsiveness and the resources to follow through. We invest early, stay close, and do the work it takes to give every child - and every foster family - the best possible chance of success.
Because when foster care works well, it changes everything. If you’re looking for a therapeutic fostering agency that knows what resources are needed and is committed to putting them in place, get in touch with our team today.
Fostering News & Resources
Staying Put in foster care: Why young people leaving care need more than a policy promise
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How much do foster carers get paid? What you really need to know
Thinking about fostering often brings practical questions alongside the emotional ones, and money is usually one of them. How much…
Mosaic Foster Care wins Small Business of the Year in Essex and Worcestershire
We’re delighted to share that Mosaic Foster Care has been named Small Business of the Year in both the Essex…
Could Fostering Become Your Next Career? What you need to know
Many people reach a point in their working life when they begin to question what they want from the years…
Lucy’s journey to becoming a foster parent with Mosaic Foster Care
You don’t need to be perfect to foster” For many years, Lucy knew fostering was something she wanted to do…
Can a single person foster?
Yes a single person can foster a child, yet some people rule themselves out of fostering simply because they make…
Trauma-informed care for foster parents – what is it and how does it help?
Fostering is about much more than providing a safe home. For many children, it is also about rebuilding trust, creating…
Behind the win: Mosaic Foster Care named Small Business of the Year 2026
We’re delighted to have been recognised as UK Small Business of the Year at The UK Business Awards 2026. The award recognises the…
“Life as foster parent is up and down – that’s why you need the support’
Frances and David Wilson began fostering with Mosaic Foster Care later in family life, welcoming Megan into their home when…
The needs of children in care are more complex than ever. Is the fostering system keeping up?
A new report from the Nationwide Association of Fostering Providers (NAFP) has highlighted a challenge many fostering professionals have been concerned about for years. …
Mosaic Foster Care Foster Parent Survey 2026: What Our Foster Parents Told Us
No one fosters on their own. Foster parent is a role that demands a massive amount of energy from you and…
Finding the right school for your foster child – how Mosaic Foster Care can help
Finding the right school for a child in foster care can be a difficult process. For many children, school has not always…
Fostering Finances Uncovered: How Much Do You REALLY Get Paid as a Foster Parent?
Worried about financial security as a foster parent? You're not alone. Our guide cuts through the confusion surrounding fostering allowances, hidden deductions, and unpredictable income gaps. Find out exactly what foster carers are paid, how your choice of agency drastically affects your financial stability, and how to protect your income, even between placements. Download now and get clear, straightforward answers to secure your financial peace of mind, letting you focus on what matters most: Caring for your foster child.