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Being a foster parent means caring for a child as part of your family.

To become a foster parent you must:

• have the right to work in the UK
• be able to take care of a child or young person, often on a full-time basis

You must also be at least 18 years old, though most foster service providers will require you to be at least 21.

How long you care for the child depends on the type of foster care. It can range from one night to many years, or until the child is an adult.

You may be able to work and foster. Whether you can depends on the child鈥檚 circumstances and the fostering service you apply to. This can be your local council or an independent fostering agency.

You do not need to own your home, but usually you鈥檒l need to have a spare bedroom.

Before you can foster, you must pass a fostering assessment to check that you鈥檙e able to care for a child.

You do not have a statutory right to time off work to care for foster children.

This guidance applies to England. There鈥檚 different fostering guidance if you:

Your responsibilities

If you become a foster parent you鈥檒l need to:

• care for the child as part of a team - this could include a local authority, schools, health professionals and the child鈥檚 birth family
• keep records and write reports about the foster child
• attend meetings and advocate for the child
• help the child manage their behaviour and feelings
• attend training

There are many types of foster care. The application process is the same for all types.

Long term

You foster children who cannot go back to their birth family but do not want to be adopted. Usually, you鈥檒l be their foster parent until they鈥檙e an adult.

Short term

You look after children for a few weeks or months while plans are made for their future.

鈥楩amily and friends鈥� or 鈥榢inship鈥�

You care for a child who you know or is part of your family - for example, your grandchild. Contact your council for information about becoming a 鈥榝amily and friends鈥� or 鈥榢inship鈥� carer.

Emergency

You give a child somewhere safe to stay for a few nights. This is usually unplanned and you could get less than 24 hours鈥� notice.

Respite and short breaks

You care for children who have disabilities, special educational needs or behavioural issues while their parents or usual foster carers take a break.

Remand

You take care of young people who鈥檝e been remanded by a court. You鈥檒l usually need specialist training to be this type of foster parent.

Fostering for adoption

You foster babies or young children who you may go on to adopt. If you鈥檙e fostering for adoption you鈥檒l be entitled to adoption pay and leave from when the child comes to live with you.

You need to have been approved as an adopter by a local council or agency to do fostering for adoption.

Specialist therapeutic

You provide specialist therapeutic care to children and young people with complex needs or challenging behaviour. This is for experienced foster parents or those with certain skills.

All foster parents receive a foster care allowance to cover the cost of caring for a child.

The minimum is usually between 拢165 and 拢289 a week. The total amount you get depends on:

• where you live
• which fostering service you use
• the child鈥檚 age
• if the child has specific needs
• your skills and experience

The fostering service you apply to will tell you how much you can get.

There鈥檚 more information about financial help in the guide for foster parents.

Tax arrangements when you foster

When you start fostering, you鈥檒l need to register as self-employed and file tax returns.

You鈥檒l also be entitled to qualifying care relief which means you鈥檒l:

• earn 拢19,360 from fostering before you have to pay tax
• get tax relief for every week you foster a child

There鈥檚 more information about paying tax in the guide for foster parents.

Claiming benefits

Being a foster parent can affect the benefits you get. If you鈥檙e claiming benefits you鈥檒l need to tell the organisation that pays you that you鈥檙e also getting foster care allowance.

Use a benefits calculator to check what benefits you鈥檙e eligible for.

For more help on how your benefits may change:

• contact the organisation that pays you

The process starts when you apply to become a foster parent and finishes with a decision from the fostering service. The process can take up to 8 months to complete.

Steps 2 to 6 might happen in a different order.

1. You apply to become a foster parent through your local council or . You can only register with one fostering service.

2. The council or agency asks you to go to a preparation course on fostering.

3. You and every adult that lives with you will need to pass an enhanced with barred lists Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

4. A social worker assesses you and your family to check that you鈥檙e able to care for a child.

5. You state any preferences about the children you鈥檒l care for, like age or gender. You cannot choose a child out of a group of children and you do not get a trial period with a foster child.

6. The fostering service reviews your application. You鈥檒l need to meet with their panel who will make a recommendation.

7. The fostering service makes a decision on your application.

Before you can foster a child you must pass an assessment by a social worker.

Assessments have 2 stages that might be done separately or at the same time.

Stage 1 - practical information about your circumstances

A social worker will ask questions to assess if fostering is right for you. They will ask:

• about the property you live in and any pets you have
• for your personal information including your relationship history
• about your general level of health (you鈥檒l need to get a medical statement, usually from a GP)
• if you or anyone in your home has ever applied to foster, adopt, or become a childminder
• about who else is living with you, including other children
• about children in the family who do not live with you
• for the names and addresses of at least 2 people who can give references for you and every adult who lives with you (they do not have to be the same 2 people for everyone)

They can ask for more information or run other checks.

Stage 2 - detailed information about you and your family

A social worker will ask more questions so that they can get to know you and your family. They will ask:

• about your personality
• if you have religious beliefs
• for your ethnicity, cultural background and what languages you speak
• if you鈥檙e willing and able to care for a child of a different religion, ethnicity or cultural background, or a child that speaks a different language to you
• for your employment history and about your standard of living
• about your hobbies and interests
• if you have ever cared for children
• if you have any useful skills relevant to fostering

Where you鈥檒l be assessed

Different fostering services assess you in different ways, for example they could:

• visit you at home
• call you
• invite you to meetings

The fostering service will contact you to tell you the result of your application.

If you鈥檙e approved you鈥檒l start training and meet your social workers.

If you鈥檙e not approved you can appeal the decision. The fostering service should also tell you the reasons why you were not approved.

Once you鈥檙e approved

The fostering service will add you to their list of available foster parents.

They鈥檒l send you a profile of any child they think is a good fit. Once you鈥檝e let the fostering service know if you鈥檇 like to foster the child, they鈥檒l tell if you鈥檝e been chosen.

In some cases you鈥檒l get to meet the child before they come to live with you. You might not if it鈥檚 an emergency placement.

You鈥檒l get training and support throughout the time you鈥檙e fostering.

You have the right to end a placement by giving 28 days鈥� notice.