Becoming a foster carer is a life-changing decision, and there’s a lot to think about before you apply. Whether you’re researching the process, preparing your spare room ready to welcome a foster child, or undertaking foster carer training to prepare you for what lies ahead.
If you’re considering applying to become a foster carer, you might be feeling excited, nervous, confused or a combination of all three! This helpful guide breaks down what to consider when getting ready to foster.
Who Can Foster?
In the UK, technically, anyone over the age of 18 can apply to foster, but you’ll find that most Local Authorities (LAs) and private fostering agencies will only accept applicants over the age of 21.
Foster carers must be able to take care of a child on either a full-time or part-time basis, and have the right to work in the UK. Potential foster carers should also be free of criminal convictions.
You can foster whether you’re single, in a relationship or married, including if you’re in a same-sex relationship. You can foster whether you rent or own your home, and whether or not you have pets living in your home. Some foster carers even balance their fostering commitments alongside working, although this will depend on the type of fostering and the age of foster child(ren) you’re approved to take care of.
Understanding the Fostering Process
If you’re considering applying to become a foster carer, it’s important that you understand the process involved. Fortunately, you can find a handy step-by-step guide to the fostering process on our website.
Becoming approved as a foster carer is an understandably rigorous process that involves a series of checks and an in-depth assessment into your suitability to foster.
The first stage involves a series of initial checks. This will include providing character references from people who know you, such as family, friends, and your employer, as well as a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
All potential foster carers must undergo a full medical assessment to check that you’re physically and mentally well enough to foster.
In Stage Two, a qualified social worker will conduct an in-depth assessment which will involve multiple visits to your home. During these visits s/he will get to know you and will begin putting together a detailed report which will be presented to the approval panel at the end of the process.
Before becoming approved as a foster carer, you’ll also be expected to undertake a training course to prepare you for fostering. During this training you’ll learn more about what fostering involves, the different types of fostering placements, the challenges you might face, and the support you’ll receive from your LA or fostering agency. You’ll also be given examples of the kinds of children waiting for foster placements in your area.
Getting Ready to Foster
The assessment process for fostering can be intense, so before you submit your application to a fostering agency or local authority, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re as prepared as you can be.
Research fostering
Knowing what to expect from your fostering journey will make the process go more smoothly and can help you overcome any hurdles you might face along the way.
Use trusted resources to learn more about fostering, such as:
- The gov.uk guide to fostering
- The Fostering Network
- Your local authority’s pages on fostering
- You can also find out more about fostering in different parts of the UK from specific fostering agencies that cover your local area.
Getting to know others who have been through or are currently going through the fostering process can also offer insight and strengthen your support network for the journey ahead.
Your Home
All children coming into foster care will need a room of their own. Most fostering agencies and LAs won’t proceed with your application to foster if you don’t currently have a spare bedroom in your property.
This is the case even if you’re planning to foster young babies who would be expected to share your bedroom for the first 6 months in line with safer sleep guidelines. This helps to avoid situations where a very young child needs to be moved on to another fostering placement due to lack of a spare room, causing disruption to their bonding and development.
If you’re hoping to foster siblings, they will typically require a bedroom each, however in some cases, it may be possible for siblings coming into foster care to share a bedroom. This is something that will be discussed and explored with you early on in the process.
While you don’t need to have a foster child’s room furnished and decorated at this early stage of the process, your assessing social worker will want to see that it’s clean, safe and of a suitable size.
If you don’t already have children living with you, you’ll also want to consider how you’ll ensure your home is safe for any foster children placed with you.
Things to consider, include:
- Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms
- Child-safe locks on upstairs windows
- Blind cord safety
- The use of fireguards and ovenguards
- Stairgates at the tops and bottoms of staircases
- Covering over or filling in any outdoor ponds or pools
Children coming into foster care have often experienced disruption and instability in their young lives, so fostering agencies and LAs will want to know that you haven’t got any significant renovations or a house move planned for the near future.
Travel
If you like to travel, you’ll need to think about any upcoming trips you have planned. Fostering agencies will usually ask in advance whether you’ll be going away during the assessment process to minimise disruption and delays.
Once you have a foster child or children in placement, you’ll need to consider how they fit into your holiday plans. While foster children can, of course, go on holiday, this will need to be planned well in advance with the child’s social worker. Alternatively, if a child is unable to come with you for whatever reason, a respite placement may be arranged so they have somewhere to stay while you’re away.
School-age foster children will often have experienced significant disruption to their education so any planned holidays should take place outside of term time.
Relationships
If you’re part of a couple, it’s crucial to bear in mind that fostering - like any big life change - can potentially impact your relationship.
That’s why you both need to be on board with the decision to foster and you will both be assessed for suitability, even if one of you will be working outside of the home while fostering.
Talk to your partner about the important decisions you’ll need to make during the assessment process and beyond, such as:
- How many children do you feel able to foster?
- What age range would you like to be considered for?
- Could you foster a child with additional needs?
- Could you support a young parent through a Parent and Child Fostering arrangement?
- How will you share your responsibilities as foster carers and still make time for yourselves as individuals and as a couple?
Conversely, if you’re single and planning to foster, you’ll need to make sure that you have a robust support network in place and people you can turn to when you need support, whether practical or emotional.
Your Health
Parenting any child comes with physical and mental demands, and this is the same with fostering. When getting ready to foster, take time to consider your current health and lifestyle, and how becoming a foster carer might impact these.
All potential foster carers must undergo a rigorous fostering medical, which looks at their current health status as well as past medical history.
Fostering medical advisors have an important role to play in helping fostering agencies make decisions about whether or not an applicant is suitable to foster.
Things to consider, include:
- Do you have the energy to keep up with a young child/children?
- Your diet and lifestyle, and how you’ll set a healthy example to any children in your care.
- If you smoke or vape. While this won’t necessarily prevent you from fostering, most agencies and local authorities will ask that you take steps to quit before a child is placed with you. Children under 5 also can’t be placed in homes where anyone smokes or vapes (even if you go outside the home to do it).
- Any serious illnesses or surgeries in your past and whether you’re fully recovered.
- If you’re awaiting investigations for new symptoms or have a diagnosed health condition. Again, while this won’t automatically preclude you, it’s important to consider how fostering might impact your health and vice versa.
- Any issues around substance misuse, including alcohol.
- Any past or current mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. Fostering agencies will want to be sure that fostering won’t negatively impact these, and that you have support in place.
You can learn more about the fostering medical assessment process here.
Fostering Medicals at Orr Medical
If you’re getting ready to foster, we hope this guide on what to consider has helped.
Founded in 2010, Orr Medical has a proven track record of providing in-depth fostering and adoption medical reports. We work with fostering agencies and local authorities across the UK, to deliver an efficient, high-quality service that supports both agencies and applicants.
Find out more about our fostering and adoption medical advisor service and what we offer, or get in touch today to discuss how we can help.