#50FAMILIES INITIATIVE

So what is 50families?

Our vision

Prevent / Recruit / Support

We want to serve our city by encouraging Christians across Derby to consider how they can be involved in fostering and adoption in Derby - whether that be considering fostering or adoption for themselves or supporting those in their own church community who already do.

In Derby City there are over 600 children looked after away from birth families, and of those, over 450 are in fostering placements. However, tragically less than a third of these placements are currently placed with Derby City carers*. Often, as they come into foster care, children are placed with other organisations and agencies, sometimes 100s of miles away from home. This means that they are away from families to maintain contact with, away from their community, and away from a school that they know. 

As church leaders in the city we’ve been praying and asking God what our response should be in this crisis. 

James 1:27 - “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress”

We know that we have a biblical mandate to look after, to care for vulnerable children and so we have been praying and asking what we should be doing practically in derby. 

We feel that God has spoken to us about being involved in Prevention, Recruitment and Support:

• Helping to prevent children going into care in the first place.

• Helping to recruit more foster carers in the city.

• Helping to support new and existing carers.

#50families is about asking God for 50 new fostering households over the next three years. 

What can you do?

We’d love you to pray and ask God what your role might be in this

• Could you be involved in helping to prevent children from going into care?

• Might God be speaking to you about being a foster carer?

• Could you help support those in your local church who are already carers? 

At 100 Homes & 50 families, we believe every child deserves a stable, loving home.

Our mission is to bridge the gap between local authorities and the Christian community, inspiring a fresh wave of foster carers and providing them with prayerful, practical support.

Are you a foster carer? 

We know that fostering is rewarding but its also challenging. You don’t have to do it alone!

• Connect - join our WhatsApp community of local Christian foster carers for advice and prayer.

• Meet - come along to our regular in-person support group meetings.

• Support - access to 1 to 1 peer support when things feel tough.

How you can help - tell your church about 50Families, introduce us to other Christian carers, or explore our volunteering opportunities.

Thinking about fostering? 

If you’ve every wondered if fostering is for you, we’re here to help you explore that calling at your own pace.

• Information Evenings - join us for an informal look at what fostering involves.

• Coffee & chat - Meet 1-to-1 with an experienced carer to ask the "real" questions.

• Mentorship - If you decide to apply, we’ll pair you with a mentor to support you through the assessment process and your first placement.

Your next step - we can refer you directly to the local council or simply keep you updated on future information sessions until you’re ready.

For Church leaders 

We want to partner with you to highlight the role that your church community can have in the area of fostering and adoption

• Guest Speakers - we can provide guest speakers for a full sermon, a 5 minute notice or to run a stand at the end of a service

• Fostering Sunday - targeted resources to help your church pray for and support vulnerable children - Fostering Sunday is a city wide celebration of how fostering and adoption is part of Kingdom living.

• Specialist Training - we can offer bespoke sessions for your youth and children’s workers

How to partner - join our mailing list, nominate a ‘church champion’ to be our point of contact, or introduce us to other leaders in your network.

Our Goals for 2025 - 2026

• Meeting with ~20 church leaders and delivering 10 church presentations

• Connecting with over 2,000 people face to face

• Providing consistent, monthly check-ins for every carer currently in the assessment process

Information Evenings

What are we asking people to do as a result?

Consider Fostering or Adopting - there may be people in your congregation who have been thinking and praying about the whole area of fostering and adoption, or it may be brand new to them. In conjunction with the City Council we will host information evenings, for those who would like to find out more.

Consider Supporting a Foster Carer or Adoptive Parent - others in your congregation may not feel for whatever reason that they can commit to fostering or adoption but that they may be able to support someone else who is a carer. These evenings will also be helpful for people who would like to find out more about being a support to families who do care for looked after children.

Come and investigate what it means to be a foster carer for Derby City Council.

There'll be an opportunity to meet other Christian carers and hear their stories. We'll also share more about how you can get involved in supporting those who are already carers in our city. We'll also hear from Safe Families who are working with Derby City Council to prevent children from going into care. Clicking the link below will take you to our Guestlist booking page…

Who are we working with?

#50FAMILIES is an initiative of Derby City Vision,

working with Derby City Council, 100 Homes, Safe Families and home for Good.

Safe Families and Home for Good are now part of the same charity, following a formal merger in September 2024. Together, they provide a holistic solution to the UK care crisis by partnering with local churches and volunteers.

Safe Families focuses on early intervention, connecting isolated families with volunteers to provide support and prevent children from entering the care system. Home for Good works to ensure that if children do enter care, there are enough caring homes available through fostering, adoption and supported lodgings. Operating as one organisation, they aim to ensure every child has a stable, loving place to belong.

Contact Form

We’d love to keep you up to date with developments, events and news from the #50FAMILIES team. If you would like us to contact you or you’d like to join our mailing list please click on the link below and you’ll be redirected to our contact form.

Social Media

Twitter: @50families | Facebook: 50families