Barnet has joined five councils in a new North London Fostering Hub to find carers. Pay is up to £519 a week, and renters and full-time workers can apply.
Barnet Council has joined a new hub to find more foster carers, so more children in care can stay close to home. The North London Fostering Hub brings together six councils to recruit, train and keep carers.
The six are:
- Barnet
- Camden, which leads the hub
- Enfield
- Hackney
- Haringey
- Islington
The council announced the move on Monday 9 November.
Why it matters for Barnet children
When no foster home is free nearby, a child may have to leave their borough. That can mean a new school and losing touch with friends and family. The hub’s own site puts it plainly: “When there’s no home nearby, a child moves away from their community.”
By working together, the six boroughs hope to find carers from a wider range of backgrounds. The aim is that more children can stay connected to their schools, families, friends and communities, the council said.
The hub is part of the Government’s national fostering reform programme. It is meant to make it easier to find out about fostering, to get help through the application, and to get training once approved.
It builds on more than ten years of joint work through the North London Fostering and Permanency Consortium.
What the councillor said
Councillor Coakley Webb, Barnet’s Cabinet Member for Family-Friendly Barnet, said the need was urgent.
“We urgently need to recruit more foster carers across the region, and this hub will play a vital role in helping us achieve that,” Cllr Coakley Webb said. “Our foster carers do a wonderful job, and the additional support provided through the hub will help swifter recruitment, greater diversity of carers ensuring stronger matches between children and families, leading to more stable fostering arrangements.”
“This new regional hub will bring together our six local authorities to improve outcomes for children who need foster care. We are committed to welcoming people from all backgrounds into the fostering community and ensuring that every child can find the right home, at the right time, with the support they need to thrive.”
A minister in Camden
This week Camden hosted the first national gathering of Regional Fostering Hubs. Representatives came from hubs across England, along with Josh MacAlister, Minister for Children and Families.
“Fostering changes lives, not just for the children who finally get the stability and love every child deserves, but for the carers themselves, who tell us it’s one of the most rewarding things they’ve ever done,” the minister said.
“Right now, thousands of children need that chance, and that’s exactly what our national campaign is about: cracking fostering open to ordinary people across England who have the values, the commitment, and the love to foster.”
“They bring the heart into my family”
Homa has been a foster carer in North London for more than eight years. She has looked after many children, including groups of brothers and sisters.
“Being a foster parent keeps me active and gives me energy, and I cannot imagine doing anything more rewarding,” she said. “I know that I am able to give the children I look after a calm, safe and loving home and they bring the heart into my family.”
“Fostering is not an isolated role. The children I look after have me, but they are very much part of my larger extended family. I also have the support of a professional group of people, but importantly, a wide network of other foster parents working together.”
“I would like to encourage people to consider fostering as there are lots of children in North London who need the safety and security but need to stay in the community in which they are familiar. It is about finding the right match and recognising that fostering can fit alongside different careers and lifestyles.”
Who can foster
Many people rule themselves out for the wrong reasons, the council said. It cited research showing 43% believe fostering cannot be combined with a full-time job. Three in ten (30%) think you need childcare experience or qualifications.
Neither is true, according to the hub’s eligibility page. The firm requirements are short:
- a spare bedroom
- being over 21
- the right to live in the UK
The same page says:
- people who rent can foster, as you do not need to own your home
- people who work full time can foster, and some kinds of fostering fit around a job
- single people and same-sex couples can foster
- you do not need children of your own or any childcare experience
- there is no upper age limit
- a health condition or disability does not rule you out automatically
Becoming a foster carer takes around six months from first enquiry, the hub says. There is a home visit, training, a criminal record check, references and a health check. A panel then decides.
What carers are paid
Fostering is paid, and the weekly payment covers a fee for the carer’s work plus an allowance for the child’s costs. The hub’s offer page, checked on 9 November 2026, gives these top rates:
| Type of fostering | Up to, per week |
|---|---|
| Mainstream | £519 |
| Specialist | £872 |
| Parent and child | £1,595 |
What a carer receives depends on the type of fostering and the child’s needs.
Every carer gets their own supervising social worker and ongoing training. The hub also lists support groups, a buddy and mentoring scheme, and membership of the Fostering Network. Some extras depend on the borough, such as council tax discounts, parking permits and respite breaks, so it is worth asking Barnet what applies here.
What it means for you
If you live in Barnet and have a spare room, you can ask about fostering with no commitment. The first step is an informal chat.
- Website: fosternorthlondon.gov.uk
- Phone: 020 7974 0125
The hub’s events page lists drop-in information sessions. None was listed in Barnet when we checked on 9 November. The nearest in-person sessions are in Camden at 5 Pancras Square, N1C 4AG, on 18 November and 16 December, both 12pm to 1pm.
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