Fostering in Wednesbury
Embrace is looking for foster carers in Wednesbury and the rest of Sandwell. We're a small therapeutic fostering agency, rated Good by Ofsted.
Children in care in Sandwell
Wednesbury is one of Sandwell's six towns, in the north-west of the borough where it meets Walsall. Children in care here are looked after by Sandwell Council, and Sandwell Children's Trust runs its children's social care.
On 31 March 2025 Sandwell was looking after 816 children, and 484 of them, almost six in ten, were living outside the borough. Sandwell also looks after more children for its size than England as a whole: 92 in every 10,000, against 67 nationally.
Not every move out of the area could have been avoided, and some keep a child safe. But each foster home in Wednesbury is one more chance for a child to stay near their school, their friends and their family. Embrace carers get a supervising social worker of their own, visits every four to six weeks and someone on the end of the phone at any hour.
Figures are for the whole council area, from the Department for Education's children looked after statistics for the year to 31 March 2025. The duty to place children near home is in section 22C of the Children Act 1989.
A safe family home for children in care
Foster carers look after children and young people who can't live with their birth families. Some come for a few nights, others for a few weeks, some for years.
Many of the children we work with have experienced trauma, neglect, or instability. What they all need is the same thing every child needs: a safe, loving home where they can be themselves.
At Embrace, we specialise in therapeutic fostering. That means our carers are trained in PACE (Playful, Accepting, Curious, Empathic) and DDP (Dyadic Developmental Practice). It's a way of being with children that helps them heal.
We're always looking for new foster carers in Wednesbury. Wherever you are in the area, you'll have a supervising social worker, round-the-clock support and a real community behind you.
Who can become a foster carer?
Far more people can foster than you might think. We welcome applications from people of any background.
- You're over 21, with no upper age limit
- You have a spare bedroom
- You can offer time, patience, and stability
- You're a UK resident with the right to work
- You drive, or live somewhere with good public transport
- You're prepared to be assessed and trained
You can foster if you're single, married, in a civil partnership, cohabiting, divorced, working, retired, a homeowner or a tenant. Sexuality, race, religion and disability are never barriers.
Why foster with us?
Therapeutic approach
DDP and PACE training as standard. In-house therapist. Monthly Embrace Each Other support groups.
Round-the-clock support
24/7 emergency line, 365 days a year. Weekly check-ins. Supervision every 4-6 weeks.
Ofsted Good rated
"Children are at the centre of practice at Embrace Fostering." Independent verification of what our families already know.
Generous allowances
Competitive sterling allowances. Level 1 to Level 2 career structure to reward your skills.
Continuous training
Mandatory and ongoing courses. Specialist subjects. Free Foster Talk membership.
A real community
Embrace Each Other groups. Fun days twice yearly. Consultation days. Quarterly newsletter.