How to Transfer Fostering Agency

Every foster carer in England has the legal right to transfer to a different fostering agency. It's more common than you might think — thousands of carers do it every year — and in the vast majority of cases, it goes smoothly with no disruption to your placement.

Why do carers transfer?

The most common reasons include:

• Insufficient support between visits — the minimum requirement is one supervision visit every 3 months, but effective agencies do much more
• High staff turnover — losing continuity with your link worker is disruptive and stressful
• Low fostering allowance — rates vary significantly between agencies, sometimes by £100+ per week for the same type of placement
• Limited training — the minimum is 15 hours per year; good agencies offer far more
• Management concerns — feeling that the agency doesn't listen, or that decisions aren't made in the best interests of children or carers
• Moving area — changing region sometimes makes a different agency a more practical fit

Your legal right to transfer

Under the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011, you are approved as a foster carer by an agency — not by a specific agency forever. You have the right to give notice and transfer at any time. Your current agency cannot refuse to release you, though they may attempt to address your concerns first.

The standard notice period is 28 days, though your specific contract may vary — check your Carer Agreement.

What happens to my placement?

This is the question most carers worry about, and the answer is almost always: nothing. The child in your care is placed by the local authority — not by your fostering agency. The agency provides your support and oversight, but the placement itself continues unaffected.

In practice, the outgoing agency hands over your case file to the incoming agency, who then takes responsibility for your supervision visits and support. The local authority is notified and the child remains with you throughout.

The step-by-step transfer process

1. Research your options — use this site to compare agencies in your region by Ofsted rating, specialisms, and reported support levels
2. Make initial contact — speak to 2–3 agencies informally before committing. Ask about allowance rates, supervising social worker caseloads, and training
3. Submit a formal application — once you've chosen an agency, they'll begin their assessment process (typically 4–8 weeks)
4. Give notice to your current agency — once your new agency has approved you (or you're confident they will), give your 28 days' notice in writing
5. Case file transfer — your new agency requests your records from the outgoing agency. The local authority is notified
6. Handover meeting — usually a three-way meeting between you, the outgoing supervising social worker, and the new one
7. Continue as normal — your placement continues. Your new agency now provides your support

Things to watch out for

• Timing around reviews — try to avoid transferring just before a child's care review, as it adds unnecessary complexity
• Contractual clauses — some agencies have non-compete clauses preventing you from taking certain placements to competitor agencies. These are rarely enforceable but worth checking
• Your approval conditions — your approval category (e.g., "up to 2 children, 5–12 years") transfers with you, but the new agency will usually conduct a full review within 6 months