Fostering in Blackburn

Blackburn with Darwen is a unitary authority with its own children's services. The borough has a significant number of looked-after children, and across wider Lancashire there are over 2,100 children in care. Nationally, England had 81,770 children looked after on 31 March 2025.

Around 56,400 children were in foster care at the start of the 2024 to 2025 reporting period. Blackburn needs carers across different home types and life stages, including people able to support older children, teenagers, sibling groups, and children with additional needs.

You can foster directly with Blackburn with Darwen Council or with an independent fostering agency. Both options are Ofsted-regulated. Local authority fostering connects you closely to local schools and health services, while IFAs may offer higher allowances, smaller caseloads and specialist models.

Compare how support works in practice. Ask about social worker caseloads, out-of-hours advice, training pathways, respite, and how the agency supports you when placements are challenging. Day-to-day support often matters more than pay alone.

Fostering payments in Blackburn depend on the provider, the child's age and needs, and the type of fostering you are approved to do. Independent agencies across Lancashire typically pay between £400 and £575 per week. Most fostering income is effectively tax-free under HMRC Qualifying Care Relief.

When comparing agencies, look at the total package including the weekly allowance, skills-based fee, training provision, support and any additional payments. A good agency should provide a written breakdown before you commit.

All types of fostering are in demand across Blackburn including short-term, long-term, emergency, respite, parent and child placements, and specialist therapeutic care. There is a particular need for carers who can support teenagers and sibling groups.

Blackburn also needs carers who can support children with complex emotional or behavioural needs, and those who can provide culturally informed care. During your assessment you will discuss which types suit your skills and household.

No. You do not need to own your home to foster in Blackburn. What matters is that you have a stable living situation and that your home is suitable for a child, including adequate space, safety and privacy. You can foster if you own your home or are in a secure rental agreement.

If you rent, services will want to understand the security of your tenancy and whether you have landlord permission where required. A good agency will guide you through what is needed.

Start with regulated sources. Fostering services in England are inspected by Ofsted, and you can search by location to view ratings and inspection history. This helps identify agencies with strong leadership, training and outcomes.

Use comparison directories like Think Fostering to shortlist Ofsted-rated providers in Blackburn and Lancashire. Shortlist three to five providers, speak to each one, and ask the same questions about supervision, out-of-hours support, training and placement matching.

There is no single fixed number, because agencies operate across multiple areas and change coverage over time. The most reliable way to get an up-to-date view is to use the Ofsted provider search and filter by location.

Blackburn includes Blackburn with Darwen Council's fostering service plus multiple independent agencies with Lancashire and North West coverage. Focus on quality signals like Ofsted ratings, then contact a shortlist for direct conversations.