Who are we?

We are a not-for-profit fostering agency. We are part of Brighter Futures for Children, which is owned by, but independent of, Reading Borough Council. 

Our main aim is to protect vulnerable children and young people in Reading and keep them in their home town, near their friends, school and support networks when they need to be cared for outside of their own family.

Our values

We share the same values as our parent company, Brighter Futures for Children. In every aspect of our work, we will be:

Honest

We are transparent and open about how we work

Creative

We are not bound by convention

Caring

Every decision we make is in the best interest of the child

Quality-driven

We are efficient, effective and responsible

Respectful

We value equality and diversity

Responsible

We are a prudent organisation, a good partner and we use limited resources wisely

Ofsted

Brighter Futures for Children’s IFA has been rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted following an inspection in January 2022.

Inspectors awarded ‘Good’ to all three three key areas:

  • Overall experience of children and young people
  • How well children and young people are helped and protected

  • The effectiveness of leaders and managers.

We are delighted with our steady progress since taking over responsibility for the fostering service in March 2019 and will continue to focus on further, long-term improvements to the service we offer.

Inspectors said: 

“There is a clear vision for the service which is ambitious and forward thinking. Positive outcomes for children and support for foster carers has already improved.”

 “Children have a sense of permanence and stability. They are well matched to foster carers who have the relevant experience and skills to care for them. Their lives are enhanced by the care and nurture that fostering families give. This is because supervising social workers and foster carers advocate on their behalf and ensure that children’s needs are put first.”

Read the report
Picture of Ofsted Good Provider logo

Proud to be a Fostering Friendly employer

Brighter Futures for Children IFA is delighted to be a Fostering Friendly employer. Our flexible HR policies make working with us a friendly and supportive place for those who foster or would like to become a foster carer. It also benefits the children and young people in their care.

If you’re a local business or an organisation – you could become Fostering Friendly too! Discover more here.

Our governance

Picture of a smiling Steffi against an orange background

Registered Manager

Steffi Roth