Who can be a foster carer?

Almost anyone can apply - provided they have the core qualities we seek.

We have different types of fostering suitable for carers from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, whether in a partnership (same or different gender) or single - and with or without children at home.

We follow anti-discriminatory policy and practice.  This promotes equal opportunities for all and values diversity of both foster children and carers regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, age, religious beliefs, disability or marital status with or without children at home.

You will need to have:

• a real interest in helping local children and their families
• time to spare, from regular weekends to full time
• energy and enthusiasm
• a secure and stable home environment (though you don't need to be a homeowner)
• a spare bedroom for a foster child, who must have a room of their own (unless your interest is in day fostering).

Other qualities needed are:

• patience, resilience, understanding and emotional strength
• good communication and negotiation skills
• self-confidence and good literacy skills as you will need to be able to keep written records of your foster child's day-to-day life and to help them focus on their educational targets. You will need to take part in meetings from time to time and may sometimes be required to attend Court hearings.

Child protection

Naturally it is vital that we fully protect the children we are looking after - so we carry out careful assessments of all applicants. This applies particularly where people have criminal convictions and not all applicants may be deemed suitable for providing foster care.

We do have a no smoking policy for those who foster a child less than 5 years of age - and recommend that all carers looking after children of any age seek to avoid smoking if possible.

Children come first

These might seem daunting requirements but the social workers looking after the interests of fostered children need to ensure that the children receive the best care and support possible, including meeting their educational and health needs.

We value our foster carers and appreciate their role

We do all that we can to ensure our foster carers are able to offer our high standards of care. We offer guidance and support, so carers can give what is expected of them. We will provide you with a wide variety of courses and workshops to help you get started - or recommend other experiences you could try to prepare for fostering at a later date.

Do you feel you have what it takes to foster?

To find out more and receive an information pack please phone our advisors on 0845 330 2968.

Thinking about Adoption and Fostering pamphlet

Our information leaflet "Thinking about Adoption and Fostering?" is available in Bengali, Guajarati, Hindi and Urdu. If you would like a copy please email us your details and tell us which version you would prefer.