We’re an award winning foster care agency urgently recruiting foster parents in Essex, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, North Kent and Worcestershire
You don’t need qualifications to foster. But you do need preparation.
The idea of becoming a foster parent can feel inspiring - the chance to change a child’s life, and maybe your own too. But inspiration only gets you so far at 3.30am when a child is shouting, sobbing, or refusing to engage at all. It’s moments like that when many foster parents ask: “Am I really cut out for this?” Foster parents should never be left so ill-equipped for the difficult tasks they face that they are left doubting their own abilities. At Mosaic, we don’t believe foster parents are born with superpowers. We believe they develop them - through the right support, the right training, and the right people standing beside them when things get tough. All foster parents deserve to feel confident and capable - before a child even walks through your front door.
All of Mosaic Foster Care's training is accredited by the Association for Psychodynamic Practice and Counselling in Organisational Settings (APPCIOS) and recognised by the British Psychoanalytical Council (BPC).
Why apply with Mosaic Foster Care?
Training for realistic challenges. Right when you need it.
No experience needed – just a desire to help
You don’t need qualifications or a background in care to become a brilliant foster parent. Mosaic provides everything you need to succeed, starting with Skills to Foster – an engaging, practical course that builds confidence step by step.
Therapeutic support when you need it
Through our SMILE framework, you’ll receive immediate, expert input when challenges arise – usually within hours. Whether it’s trauma-related behaviour, emotional distress or a new diagnosis, we’ll help you respond quickly and effectively.
A training programme that grows with you
Fostering isn’t a neat, one-off learning curve – it’s a journey across differing terrain. Mosaic offers continuous training tailored to your experience and the children you care for. From ASD to adolescence, we make sure you’re never left to figure things out alone.
Mosaic Foster Care is an Ofsted Outstanding Fostering Agency – where ordinary people are empowered to make an extraordinary difference.
Our Skills To Foster training gives you all the tools you need – and more
Every Mosaic Foster Parent, regardless of personal and professional experience, receives the training and guidance necessary to succeed. Our goal is to help you feel confident, prepared and supported at every stage or your fostering experience. Training starts with Skills to Foster - a comprehensive and engaging course designed to prepare you for fostering. This mandatory training covers essential aspects of foster care and ensures you are ready to provide a nurturing, safe and supportive environment for children in need.
It is delivered over two sessions by our expert team of social workers and therapists, including Practice Manager Jenna Pearman and Therapeutic Lead Aly Thompson. The course is designed to build your skills, understanding and confidence step-by-step.
Here’s a breakdown of what you will learn during this foundational training:
Understanding the role of foster carers
- What foster carers do and why children come into care.
- How children’s development is impacted by their experiences.
- How you can support a child’s journey through care.
Identity and
life chances
- The importance of helping children develop a positive sense of identity.
- How prejudice and discrimination affect children’s life chances.
- Supporting children who are separated from their birth families.
Working as part
of a team
- How foster parents collaborate with social workers, birth parents and other professionals.
- Understanding the legal framework and the importance of confidentiality.
Attachment and positive behaviour
- Basic principles of attachment and how past trauma affects behaviour.
- Providing a secure and nurturing environment to help children heal and thrive.
Safer caring
practices
- Recognising and managing risks related to abuse, neglect and allegations.
- Implementing safer caring strategies to protect children and your family.
Managing
transitions
- Supporting children through changes and helping them prepare for adulthood.
- Promoting stability and continuity during periods of uncertainty.
The therapeutic component: Mosaic’s SMILE framework
Not every Skills To Foster programme is the same – so do your homework if you’re still deciding which agency to foster with. As part of our programme, Aly Thompson our Therapeutic Lead, will introduce you to Mosaic’s SMILE therapeutic framework. This session focuses on:
- Understanding adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and developmental trauma.
- Relationship-based care: Building bonds with children through trust and empathy.
- Therapeutic support: How Mosaic’s in-house therapeutic team will support you throughout your fostering journey.
Become A Foster Parent:
Why Skills to Foster Matters
The training we offer isn’t a tick-box exercise. It is the development of a fundamental life skill and the foundation for a successful fostering journey. Working alongside Mosaic’s team of professionals, it will teach you how to respond in a challenging environment, how to advocate effectively for the child in your care and where to find the techniques and strength you’ll need to foster successfully. You’ll progress from this with access to a variety of ongoing training courses and a knowledge bank full of useful information to support your growth, just as you’d expect with professional development.
Our proven three-step process ensures every foster family gets the right support at the right time:
Step 1: Honest Exploration
Step 2: Immediate, Tailored Support
Step 3: Growing Together for the Long-Term
Ongoing training that prepares you for real-life challenges
Many children in foster care have lived through trauma - and trauma doesn’t always show up quietly. Some children may be withdrawn and anxious. Others might shout, lash out or want to hide or run away. These are not ‘bad behaviours’ - they are responses to fear, grief, neglect or even abuse.
And while no training can prepare you for every moment, the right training gives you the tools and insight to respond calmly, not react instinctively.
At Mosaic, we deliver specialist training that builds your confidence in the moments that matter most - so you’re not left second-guessing how to support your foster child when their needs feel extreme.
Our post-approval training covers a vast range of subjects, including:
- Trauma-informed care: Understanding the impact of trauma and providing therapeutic support.
- Parenting teenagers: Strategies for supporting adolescents through challenging times.
- ASD and ADHD training: Caring for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
- Attachment and bonding: Building secure relationships with your foster child.
- Resilience and self-care: Strategies to maintain your own well-being and prevent burnout.
Higher, further, faster, stronger…
For Mosaic, our foster parents adapt to ever-changing situations, finding the strength within themselves to meet the needs of children with backgrounds so traumatic, they can be difficult to even think about. But they didn’t start out with superpowers. Having decided to become foster parents, they underwent training to develop them and have a dedicated professional team around them. If you’re interested in developing those same abilities, our team is just a call away.
Helping Answer Your Questions
Here are a few of the questions we get the most. If you don't see what's on your mind, reach out to us anytime by phone, chat, or email.
Do I need qualifications or experience to foster a child?
No. You don’t need any formal qualifications or experience. We’ll provide all the training and support you need to feel confident and prepared.