A common misconception is that potential foster carers must have no health issues and lead a perfectly healthy lifestyle. In reality, many successful foster carers manage various medical conditions or disabilities.

Fostering can be physically and emotionally demanding, so fostering panels need to ensure that applicants have the physical and psychological capacity to meet the needs of the child or children in their care. For long-term placements, panels also assess whether the carer’s health is likely to remain stable throughout the placement's duration.

Children in care often come from backgrounds of significant instability and disruption. It is essential to minimize the risk of further disruption within their fostering placement, making the health and well-being of foster carers a critical consideration in the assessment process.

See the relevant sections for more details on various medical conditions and their impact on fostering.