Two young girls walking through a park in coats, smiling. There are some autumnal leaves behind them.

Fostering in Northern Ireland

When life makes them feel like they don’t belong, together we can show them they do. If you live in Northern Ireland and are interested in fostering, we're here to help.

Here, fostering is a team effort, and you can count on our dedicated community of foster carers and staff to be by your side every step of the way. We run regular events for people interested in learning more about fostering, as well as fostering to adopt. We also have regular get-togethers alongside the ongoing training we offer for those who’ve already started fostering, because the support we offer will continue long after you welcome a child into your home.

You can find out more about our upcoming events on Eventbrite. You can also listen to our podcast, Barnardo's Fostering & Adoption NI, if you search wherever you listen to podcasts.

If you want to get in touch, there are lots of ways you can reach us below. We’d love to have a no-commitment chat about how fostering, or fostering to adopt, could be the right step for you.

Contact our fostering and adoption team in Northern Ireland

Address

Barnardo's Fostering Northern Ireland, 230b Belmont Road, Belfast BT4 2AW

Want to learn about fostering?

An older woman and a boy aged around 10 are wearing aprons and using wooden spoons to stir something in a bowl.

What is fostering?

Foster care provides a safe, secure and stable environment for children and young people who cannot live with their birth family.  When life gets tough or unsafe at home, some children and teenagers need a caring adult to look after them until things can get better. You could be the person helping change their life for the better.

Two foster mums sit either side of a young child, the three of them are drawing on a large sheet of paper

Could you be a foster carer?

There are so many things about you and your personality that will make you a great foster carer, but there are a few practical things you need too.

A man fiddles with a pedal on a bicycle, a young teenager watches him smiling

How we support our foster carers

To support a foster child, you need to feel supported too. With our round-the-clock helpline, expert training, financial support and incredible community of foster carers there's lots of reasons to choose to foster with us.

"There’s a family feel to fostering with Barnardo’s”

Gillian and Megan are sisters-in-law from Portaferry and Newtownabbey in Northern Ireland. With 13 children and several years of fostering between them, they’ve a wealth of experience to share.

You can read and listen to them talk about what it’s like to foster when you already have birth children, the support we offer foster carers and the feelings you experience when a placement comes to an end.​​​​
Two women, one slightly older than the other smile in a selfie
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