Foster carers come from all walks of life and have a variety of different experiences and skills. You don't need any special qualifications to foster and, just as all children are unique, there's no one type of foster carer.
What matters most is providing a stable, loving home to children, and meeting their needs to help them to thrive.
Anyone who applies to become a foster carer will be assessed for their suitability to foster. To be considered, all applicants:
You will also need:
26%
There are many myths around who can and cannot foster. In fact, foster carers are desperately needed from the whole of society, and from a diverse range of backgrounds. Foster carers can be single, in a relationship, married or in a civil partnership. They may be male, female, or non-binary, and heterosexual or LGBTQ+. Foster carers are needed from all cultural, religious and ethnic groups. They may have a health condition or disability, and there is no upper age limit. Younger people are also encouraged to come forward (although some services may have a minimum age requirement of 21). Foster carers don't need to have had children of their own, and may instead have experience of working or volunteering with children, or of caring for children within their network of family and friends.
What matters most is the ability to care for children and young people and offer them a stable, nurturing family life.
Some foster carers continue in employment alongside fostering a child. The ability to do this will depend on factors such as the fostering service's policy, and the flexibility of any employer in allowing the foster carer to meet the child’s needs, attend any meetings or training, and respond to unexpected emergencies such as illness. It may also depend on the age of the child and/or type of fostering the applicant is being assessed for. Some types of fostering, like short break fostering (which offers regular weekend or school holiday care) is part-time and may combine well with additional employment.
