Your local authority foster care team train and assess people interested in fostering to make sure they know what’s involved and that they will be able to provide a stable, loving and supportive home to a child.

This starts with sending you an information pack so you can find out more. You can request one of these by completing this form on the You Can Foster website.

If you still want to go ahead, your local authority will then discuss it with you in more detail both by phone call and by visiting you at your own home. They’ll talk to you about your own circumstances, find out more about you, as well as giving you the opportunity to find out lots more about fostering to see if it’s right for you.

Our priority is the children who need to be part of a foster family, so there are lots of things that we need to think about to make sure you’ll be suitable. Fostering is a big commitment so you’ll need to also consider it carefully and make sure you have the time and space needed, and be able to offer a stable home life.

Training

Once it seems that fostering is right for you, you’ll go on a training course with other potential foster carers to learn more about how you’ll be able to help a child and what changes you’ll need to make to become a foster carer.

Assessment

Your local authority will carry out statutory checks including a medical and an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check. The main part of your assessment will include discussing your history, experience and expectations with your social worker.

The assessment process at first can seem intrusive and is very in-depth, but this is because your local authority has a responsibility to make sure you can provide the best care to a child or young person, and that you’re fully prepared for it. They need to find out everything about you to make sure you are suitable to care for someone else’s child.

Don’t worry, you’ll be supported every step of the way through this.

Approval

Once the assessment is completed, a panel will decide whether you can become an approved foster carer.

Once you start fostering you’ll receive ongoing guidance and training, as well as financial support. You’ll have your own social worker and each local authority has a whole host of support available and will be able to talk this through with you.

The first step is getting in touch. Click here to complete the enquiry form.