Fostering is a big step and we know people typically have lots of questions about how it works, and whether it’s right for them. Don’t hesitate to contact our team for an informal chat. You can also sign up to our newsletter for monthly news and updates on all things fostering.
Fostering is when an individual or family provides temporary care for children who are unable to live with their birth parents, for a variety of reasons such as abuse, neglect, or family breakdown.
Foster carers help provide a safe, stable, and nurturing environment until the child can return home or be placed for adoption.
To become a foster carer in the UK, you must apply through a fostering agency or local authority.
The process involves an application, a thorough assessment including background checks, interviews, and home visits, followed by training and approval before you can begin fostering. Find out more about the fostering process.
There are no formal academic qualifications required to foster, but you must be over 21 years old, have a stable home environment, and demonstrate the ability to provide a safe and loving space for children.
Relevant experience with children or a willingness to undergo training and assessments is also important. Read our guide on becoming a foster carer.
Foster carers receive a fostering allowance, which helps cover the costs of raising a child, including food, clothing, and transport.
The amount varies depending on the type of fostering and the age and needs of the child. Find out more about fostering allowances.
The approval process for fostering typically takes around 4 to 6 months.
This includes the initial application, assessment and approval stages, along with training to ensure you are prepared for the role.
Yes, it is possible to foster while working full-time, but it depends on the type of fostering you do and the needs of the child.
For example, some children may require more flexible hours of care, while others may be more independent. Our team will assess your ability to balance work and care before approving you.
Yes, many foster carers have partners at home or children of their own. However, it’s essential that everyone in the household is supportive of fostering.
As part of the fostering process, we’ll assess your home environment, and assess whether the whole family is prepared for the changes that fostering can bring.
As a Footprints foster carer you’ll receive ongoing support, including training, supervision and guidance from our dedicated local team.
You’ll have access to one of our qualified social workers, who’ll provide practical and emotional support and a 24/7 helpline for emergencies.
While you may express preferences about the age, gender and specific needs of the child, the matching process ultimately depends on the child’s needs and the skills you have.
The aim is to place children in the home that best suits them, but agencies work with you to ensure that the match is suitable and that you feel comfortable with the placement.
There are several types of fostering, including:
Short-term fostering: Looking after a child for a limited period, until they can return home or be placed elsewhere.
Long-term fostering: Providing care for children who cannot return home and are unlikely to be adopted.
Respite fostering: Offering temporary care to give regular foster carers a break.
Solo fostering: Fostering a child as the only foster child in the household, often for those with specific needs.
Sibling Fostering: Fostering siblings aims to preserve the bond shared by brothers and sisters during the challenges of a disrupted family environment.
Parent and child fostering: a specialised form of care providing a safe and supportive environment for both a parent and their child, often a mother and baby.
Footprints Foster Care Ltd
Registered Company No 07879639
Longham Business Park
168 Ringwood Road
Ferndown
Dorset BH22 9BU
Please do not be anxious about contacting us
– we promise not to put you under any pressure. We are happy to answer your questions and we need to ask questions to make sure that you meet some basic criteria, such as do you have a spare bedroom and live in the right area?
Assuming that these basic criteria are met and you are happy to proceed, we will arrange to come and meet you at your home.
The home visit usually lasts 1-2 hours and gives both parties the chance to ask lots of questions. We find out more about you and you find out more about us and what we can offer. If everyone is happy to proceed you will be given an application form to complete.
If however, having found out more about fostering, you decide that you do not wish to proceed, then do not feel embarrassed to say so. We will also be honest and let you know if we do not feel it is in your interests to proceed.
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If you decide to proceed, you will complete an application form and go into the assessment process. This can take between 3–6 months and is undertaken by a qualified social worker.
It is a thorough process and one which helps people understand what has shaped their lives, prepares them for the challenge of fostering and determines their motivation to foster. As part of this process, we will also undertake statutory checks and personal references, including police checks, personal and employment references and medicals.
The social worker will also meet with your personal referees, members of your household and any adult children you have living away from home to ensure they fully support your intentions to foster.
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During the assessment period, you will have the opportunity to attend the Skills to Foster™ course that provides the foundation for future learning and development, as well as giving you the confidence to undertake your first placement.
You will also be required to complete a portfolio of evidence to support your assessment.
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After stage 3 has been completed, your assessment and portfolio will be presented to a Fostering Panel. The panel is made of experienced social work practitioners and independent members, who will have carefully considered the report in advance of the panel.
You and your assessor will both attend the fostering panel to enable panel members to meet you, address any points for clarification and hear any final questions you may have.
If the panel is satisfied the requirements regarding your suitability to foster are met, they will make a recommendation to approve you as a foster carer.
The ultimate decision to approve lies with the agency decision maker, who will carefully consider the recommendation made by the fostering panel.
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