Remember The Fostering Network in your will

How your gift will help

By remembering The Fostering Network in your will, you will be supporting children and young people in foster care across the UK as well as the families who care for them.

The Fostering Network has been at the forefront of improving life for foster families since 1974. By bringing together everyone involved in the fostering community and working with governments we have improved the status of foster carers, seen the introduction of minimum fostering allowances, successfully campaigned for the introduction of post-18 care, and pushed for the voices of foster families to be heard by policy makers. 

We have also introduced new models of fostering, such as the award-winning Mockingbird programme, which has radically improved peer support, strengthened relationships and improved life for everyone living in Mockingbird families.

Today, in the UK there are 65,000 children living with 55,000 foster families, and every 20 minutes another child comes into care needing a foster family. While numbers may go up or down in the future, there will always be a need for foster families and there will always be a need for The Fostering Network.

Your gift will ensure we can continue to support foster carers to transform children and young people’s lives across the UK into the future.

Write your will for free

We have partnered with Farewill, the UK’s largest will writer, to offer our members and supporters a free, clear and simple will writing service. A simple will usually costs at least £90, but with Farewill the process is free, can be done online or over the phone and you will be given expert support along the way. 

To access the service, visit farewill.com/fostering-web.

Farewill enables you to make a will online in just four steps, with support from Farewill specialists.

To create your will, all you need to do is complete a simple questionnaire that takes about 15 minutes to complete, and wait for a legal expert to check it. Once your will is ready, you will need to print and sign it in the presence of two witnesses, who will also need to sign it. Finally, make sure you store your will safely and tell your executors where it is.

Please be reassured that if you decide to use this scheme, you are not obligated to leave a gift to The Fostering Network. But if you do choose to remember us in your will, thank you. Our vital work benefits hugely from gifts in wills and the generous support of people like you.

Read our FAQs

What types of gifts can I leave?

There are three main types of gift you can leave in your will:

• A residuary gift is a percentage of your estate leftover after your specified gifts and items have been distributed. Many people prefer to give a residuary gift because it keeps in line with inflation and does not lose value over time. 
• A pecuniary gift is a fixed amount of money. The effects of inflation means that this type of gift could lose value over time.
• A specific gift is a gift of a specified item such as a personal possession, land, buildings or stocks and shares. 

How do I make sure my loved ones are provided for in my will and still support The Fostering Network?

We understand that your loved ones come first. Leaving a residuary gift to The Fostering Network means that we receive a percentage of funds leftover after your friends and family have been provided for.

It is an effective way of ensuring your loved one are looked after in the way you intended as well as supporting our vital work.

How will my gift be used?

Your gift will ensure we can continue to support foster carers to transform children and young people’s lives across the UK into the future.

With your generous gift we will:

• ensure that all our foster carer members get the support and advice they need through our helplines, training and resources 
• support the recruitment of foster carers through our annual Foster Care FortnightTM campaign 
• campaign for governments to ensure fostering is prioritised and supported 
• pilot new models of foster care to encourage best practice 
• make it easier for children who move on to maintain their relationship with their former foster carers if they would like to
• challenge the myths and stigma surrounding foster care, ensuring children and young people’s voices are heard
• celebrate the vital role of the whole fostering family, including the sons and daughters of foster carers who welcome children into their homes
• increase awareness and raise the profile of fostering.
   

What information do I need to include when I'm leaving a gift in my will to The Fostering Network?

When you use Farewill to create your will and leave a gift, Farewill will make sure your gift is linked to our charity.

If you’re using your own solicitor andwish to include The Fostering Network in your will, please ask your solicitor to use our charity name, registered charity number and address details below to ensure our charity is legally identified.

The Fostering Network, a registered charity in England and Wales 280852 and in Scotland SC039338. Registered in England and Wales as a limited company no. 1507277

Our registered office is 87 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HA.

How much does it cost to write my will with Farewill?

When you use the voucher code provided, there is no cost to you in creating a will through Farewill.

What if I have already made a will?

It is important to keep your will up to date, especially as your circumstances, family and wishes may change over the years.

Never physically write on your will, as this will invalidate it. Major changes may call for a new will, which is usually easier to arrange the second time round. Minor additions can be made using a separate document called a codicil, which must be signed and witnessed as with the will, though the witnesses need not be the same. It must be kept with the will but not attached to it.

Giving to a cause that you wish to support, such as The Fostering Network, can be done by adding a codicil to an existing will. Always seek professional legal advice, either from Farewill or your own solicitor.

How will my data be used?

Farewill have a comprehensive data security policy and will protect your data. Access to sensitive data is restricted to only those employees who need it to perform their roles. No sensitive data will be passed to the charity without your permission.

Please see Farewill’s privacy policy for more details.