Hi AD - I have 30 years experience as a social worker and team manager in fostering and adoption and have recently retired.
I think it is unforgiveable that the l.a. have been so inefficient and incompetent, especially when they are all so short of foster carers. I suggest you write to the Tm Mgr of the Fostering Team (no need to be angry or aggressive) but just to say that you are concerned about the way your application has not been taken up. I suspect this is because of shortage of social workers but that isn't any help to you.
FCA is an IFA (Independent fostering agency) and I am not surprised how efficient they have been because they are a business and need you to "sell" to local authorities which is how they make their money and believe me they make huge profits out of local authorities. What happens is that if the l.a. cannot place a child withintheir own foster carers (known as in house) they have to buy a placement from an IFA at about 3 times the cost of an "in house" placement. The other thing is that l.a.s are often in the position where they cannot place children with very difficult behavious and have to buy a placement from an IFA, thus IFA carers will sometimes (though not always) get more difficult children. The other thing is if you foster for the l.a. you will get a child within your particular county. If you foster for an IFA you can get a child from anywhere in the country, because if the l.a. cannot place a child they have to rely on what is on offer from an IFA. If you lived in Cornwall you could get a child from Dundee. How unsettling is that for a child to be miles from his home and have to change school etc and have contact with his parents.
If you choose to go to an IFA you may wait for a plcement because the IFAs are solely dependent on the l.a. not being able to place "in house" - whereas if you foster for the l.a. you can expect a steady "supply" of placements though this of course does depend on what age range you are considering. Carers who offer to take middle years aged children and sibling groups will generally be used more than someone who is offering something like 0 - 6 months.
Finally how do you want your council tax to be spent, on a cash starved local authority or to line the pockets of some entrepeneur i.e the IFA director. I know of someone who started an IFA and I think it may have been FCA who is now a millionaire.
My advice is to get in touch with the l.a. again, don't be fobbed off - ask to speak to the Fostering Team Manager and tell her the problems you are having, or get his/her name and write to them. Tell them you are on the verge of going to FCA and I can tell you they will pull out all the stops to prevent you doing this. Making you point clear will not go against you.
Good luck whichever way you go.