Becoming a Foster Carer

Firstly, we would like to thank our monthly readers for sticking with us throughout this series of articles. This series aims to answer some common questions about fostering and gives you a guide from personal carer extracts to what fostering with Footprints can provide. Now you may be thinking, how do I become a foster carer, and what is the process?

There are four stages to becoming a foster carer:

Initial contact and home visit

Never be afraid to pick up the phone and give us a call. Our friendly team can answer all your questions and there is absolutely no pressure from our side. If you meet the initial criteria and would like to proceed, we will conduct an informal home visit, normally taking 1-2 hours and is the basis for you to get to know us and visa versa.

Assessment

Once you decide to proceed, we will give you an application form to complete. It helps us to understand more about you and your motivations. Normally, the complete application process will take 3-6 months and is overseen by a qualified social worker.

Initial training

We provide you with a first look into the training you will have as a foster carer, particularly we enrol you onto ‘Skills to Foster’ training that will give you a strong foundation and increase your confidence.

Fostering Panel

The final stage of becoming a foster carer is the panel. This is made up by experienced professionals from various fields. We present your assessment to the panel who will carefully consider the application and if they are happy, they will make recommendations for approving you as a foster carer.

We hope this helps outline the process a little better. Read more on our website or we can always provide support over the phone.