52%
of income goes to carers.
The Foster Care Co-operative
A multistakeholder co-operative.
- Involves: clients, carers
- Cost: ££
The Foster Care Co-operative is the only not-for-profit fostering agency operating as a co-operative in the UK. Founded in 1999, it has grown steadily and organically. It now has teams situated throughout England and Wales, with offices in Malvern, Cardiff and Manchester.
Carers live in rural and city areas and come from a wide range of social and cultural backgrounds. What they all have in common is a commitment to the children. The stability of the placements with FCC is 6.5 times higher than the national average. It is currently 2 years, 2 months and 22 days. Many families have achieved more than double this time.
I wanted to give more children the chance of family life. I instinctively did not wish to start a ‘for profit’ company and after meetings with my Chamber of Commerce and invaluable advice from Co-operatives UK, I chose the model of multi-stakeholder and common ownership and registered the company. We have grown slowly by bringing new people to fostering.
Laurie Gregory, founder
How it works
- Carers have a trained professional FCC Social Worker as their immediate support. They can access support groups in your local area and a generous transport allowance, accommodation allowance, respite to have a break, education support and health support with dedicated personnel.
- Any surplus income is re-invested to provide more foster care support and more training. It goes towards recruiting more foster carers to give more stable, loving homes to more children.
- FCC have given its staff who work directly with children the power to make positive change within the organisation for the good of those children.
- FCC is registered under Fostering Services Regulations (2002) in England and Wales.