If you’re thinking of fostering, you may be wondering what are the rules and guidance around smoking and fostering. Here’s what potential foster carers need to know.
Can I Foster If I Smoke?
There’s currently no set rule or law to state that you can’t be a foster carer if you smoke or vape, so the answer to the question, ‘Can I foster if I smoke?’ is ‘Yes.’
However, fostering agencies and local authorities (LAs) will each have their own guidelines around fostering and smoking that you’ll need to be aware of, and certain conditions you must agree to as an approved foster carer.
Current guidance from the leading UK fostering charity, The Fostering Network, recommends that:
‘All fostering services should move towards a situation whereby children and young people are only placed in smokefree homes.’
(The Fostering Network, 2025).
They suggest that agencies and LAs should aim to place all children and young people into smoke-free homes, even if a foster carer themselves smokes.
If you currently smoke or vape, this will be taken into account during your assessment process and will be explored as part of your fostering medical assessment.
If you’re already thinking of quitting or cutting down, then this is the ideal time to get help and advice, and support is available to help you quit smoking.
If, however, you intend to continue to smoke or vape, then it’s important to note that:
- a.You would be expected to smoke or vape outside of your home or vehicle to minimise the risk to any children in your care.
- b.Smoking or vaping will limit the age range of children you will be approved to care for. (For example, most agencies and LAs won’t place children under the age of five, or children with existing health conditions, with a foster carer who smokes or vapes, even if this is done outside the home.)
Will Smoking or Vaping Affect My Fostering Assessment?
As we’ve noted, being a smoker or someone who vapes won’t automatically preclude you from fostering, but it will need to be considered as part of your fostering assessment process. Your assessing social worker will want to understand your current smoking or vaping habits and behaviours, and will expect openness, honesty and a willingness to engage in conversations about this.
Smoking and vaping are also considered as part of your compulsory fostering medical assessment in the wider context of your health and lifestyle, and the implications for your current and future health will be discussed with you, along with how smoking can impact your fostering journey and choices. In fact, smoking and vaping feature as one of the most common health concerns addressed in fostering assessments.
What Are the Risks of Smoking or Vaping Around Children?
Passive smoking has many, well-documented risks. Smoking around children is particularly harmful. This is because we know that children who live with a smoker are at increased risk of:
- Asthma
- Chest infections
- Ear infections
- Viruses such as coughs and colds
- Meningitis
- Allergies
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
In addition, foster carers are role models for the children and young people in their care, and behaviours such as smoking and vaping can set a negative example for impressionable young children. Evidence suggests that teenagers are four times more likely to smoke if their parents or caregivers smoke.
There are also safety risks of having smoking-related materials, such as lighters and matches in the home, especially if these are left within reach of young children. Smoking is the leading cause of fire fatalities in the UK, so as a foster carer who smokes, you’d be expected to demonstrate how you’ll prevent children from accessing these items, and how you’ll minimise the fire risks in your home.
Vaping is associated with fewer risks in comparison to smoking, but still isn’t risk free, and the current NHS guidance is to avoid vaping around babies and young children.
What Are the Benefits of Stopping Smoking?
If you’re thinking of giving up smoking or vaping before becoming a foster carer, the good news is that giving up comes with loads of great benefits.
Health Benefits
Stopping smoking can significantly improve your physical and mental health. For example:
- It reduces your risk of smoking-related diseases, such as heart disease, lung cancer, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes and dementia.
- It can improve your mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and stress-levels.
Other Benefits - There are other benefits to ditching the cigarettes too. For example, your clothes and your home will smell fresher, your taste buds will be improved, your energy levels will be higher and physical activity will be easier thanks to your increased lung function.
- Giving up smoking is also great for your bank balance, leaving you with more money to spend on other things you enjoy.
Can I Get Help to Quit Smoking as a Foster Carer?
Yes! If you would like help to quit smoking or vaping, this will be explored during your fostering medical assessment, and you can be referred to NHS smoking cessation services, who can offer a range of different ways to help you quit. They’ll be able to advise you on the best products to help you stop smoking for good, such as Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs) like patches, gums and mouth sprays.
Sometimes vaping is recommended as a step-down for those looking to quit smoking. This is because the effects of vaping aren’t as harmful as the effects of smoking. So if you’re struggling to quit smoking altogether, vaping can be an interim measure to help you cut down on your nicotine use, before eventually stopping altogether.
Another option if you’re looking to quit is to join in with a nationwide effort to stop smoking, such as Stoptober.
Fostering Medical Assessments
Here at Orr Medical, we have a proven track record of providing timely, thorough, and holistic fostering medicals that support both fostering agencies and applicants.
We work alongside fostering agencies and local authorities to assess an applicant’s suitability to foster, with the aim of finding healthy, happy homes for children who need them.
We consider an applicant’s lifestyle behaviours in the wider context of their overall health, and can offer expert medical advice and guidance to both agencies and applicants with regards to the impact of smoking or vaping on health, and proven strategies for quitting.
To find out more about the services we offer or to enquire about working with us, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Alternatively, if you’re thinking about fostering or getting ready to foster, contact us today for helpful information about the fostering process and how to prepare for your fostering medical assessment.