Welcome
to the Heart of Foster Care
Who can foster?
Being a foster parent means caring for a child as part of your family.
How long you care for the child depends on the type of foster care. It can range from one night to many years, or until the child is an adult. If you’re already fostering a child, there’s more information about help and support for foster parents.
Your fostering assessment
Before you can foster a child you must pass an assessment by a social worker.
Assessments have 2 stages that might be done separately or at the same time.
Stage 1
Practical information about your circumstances. A social worker will ask questions to assess if fostering is right for you. They will ask:
• about the property you live in and any pets you have
• for your personal information including your relationship history
• about your general level of health (you’ll need to get a medical statement, usually from a GP)
• if you or anyone in your home has ever applied to foster, adopt, or become a childminder
• about who else is living with you, including other children
• about children in the family who do not live with you
• for the names and addresses of at least 2 people who can give references for you and every adult who lives with you (they do not have to be the same 2 people for everyone)
They can ask for more information or run other checks.
Stage 2
Detailed information about you and your family. A social worker will ask more questions so that they can get to know you and your family. They will ask:
• about your personality
• if you have religious beliefs
• for your ethnicity, cultural background and what languages you speak
• if you’re willing and able to care for a child of a different religion, ethnicity or cultural background, or a child that speaks a different language to you
• for your employment history and about your standard of living
• about your hobbies and interests
• if you have ever cared for children
• if you have any useful skills relevant to fostering
Where you’ll be assessed
Different fostering services assess you in different ways, for example they could:
• visit you at home
• call you
• invite you to meetings
After you've applied
The fostering service will contact you to tell you the result of your application. If you’re approved you’ll start training and meet your social workers.
If you’re not approved you can appeal the decision. The fostering service should also tell you the reasons why you were not approved.
Once you’re approved
The fostering service will add you to their list of available foster parents. They’ll send you a profile of any child they think is a good fit. Once you’ve let the fostering service know if you’d like to foster the child, they’ll tell if you’ve been chosen.
In some cases you’ll get to meet the child before they come to live with you. You might not if it’s an emergency placement.
You’ll get training and support throughout the time you’re fostering. You have the right to end a placement by giving 28 days’ notice.