Becoming a foster parent in England

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1. Who can foster

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.

If you바카라 사이트™re already fostering a child, there바카라 사이트™s more information about help and support for foster parents.

You may be able to work and foster. Whether you can depends on the child바카라 사이트™s 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 you바카라 사이트™ll need to have a spare bedroom.

Before you can foster, you must pass a fostering assessment to check that you바카라 사이트™re 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. There바카라 사이트™s different fostering guidance if you:

Your responsibilities

If you become a foster parent you바카라 사이트™ll need to:

• care for the child as part of a team - this could include a local authority, schools, health professionals and the child바카라 사이트™s 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

Support from Fosterline

Call Fosterline for free to get advice on fostering. You can also on the Fosterline website.

Fosterline
Telephone: 0800 040 7675
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (except bank holidays)
Find out about call charges

2. Types of foster care

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, you바카라 사이트™ll be their foster parent until they바카라 사이트™re an adult.

Short term

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

바카라 사이트˜Family and friends바카라 사이트™ or 바카라 사이트˜kinship바카라 사이트™

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 바카라 사이트˜family and friends바카라 사이트™ or 바카라 사이트˜kinship바카라 사이트™ 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 hours바카라 사이트™ 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 who바카라 사이트™ve been remanded by a court. You바카라 사이트™ll 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 you바카라 사이트™re fostering for adoption you바카라 사이트™ll 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.

3. Help with the cost of fostering

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

The minimum is usually between £170 and £299 a week. The total amount you get depends on:

• where you live
• which fostering service you use
• the child바카라 사이트™s 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.

There바카라 사이트™s more information about financial help in the guide for foster parents.

Tax arrangements when you foster

When you start fostering, you바카라 사이트™ll need to register as self-employed and file tax returns.

You바카라 사이트™ll also be entitled to qualifying care relief which means you바카라 사이트™ll:

• earn £19,690 from fostering before you have to pay tax
• get tax relief for every week you foster a child

There바카라 사이트™s more information about paying tax in the guide for foster parents.

Claiming benefits

Being a foster parent can affect the benefits you get. If you바카라 사이트™re claiming benefits you바카라 사이트™ll need to tell the organisation that pays you that you바카라 사이트™re also getting foster care allowance.

Use a benefits calculator to check what benefits you바카라 사이트™re eligible for.

For more help on how your benefits may change:

• contact the organisation that pays you

4. Applying to become a foster parent

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 you바카라 사이트™re able to care for a child.

5. You state any preferences about the children you바카라 사이트™ll 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. You바카라 사이트™ll need to meet with their panel who will make a recommendation.

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

5. Your fostering assessment

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 (you바카라 사이트™ll 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 you바카라 사이트™re 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 you바카라 사이트™ll be assessed

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

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

6. After you've applied

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

If you바카라 사이트™re approved you바카라 사이트™ll start training and meet your social workers.

If you바카라 사이트™re not approved you can appeal the decision. The fostering service should also tell you the reasons why you were not approved.

Once you바카라 사이트™re approved

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

They바카라 사이트™ll send you a profile of any child they think is a good fit. Once you바카라 사이트™ve let the fostering service know if you바카라 사이트™d like to foster the child, they바카라 사이트™ll tell if you바카라 사이트™ve been chosen.

In some cases you바카라 사이트™ll get to meet the child before they come to live with you. You might not if it바카라 사이트™s an emergency placement.

You바카라 사이트™ll get training and support throughout the time you바카라 사이트™re fostering.

You have the right to end a placement by giving 28 days바카라 사이트™ notice.