Fostering Requirements | Who Can Foster A Child?

What is the criteria for fostering?

When it comes to being a foster parent and fostering a child, it’s your personal qualities that count. We proudly welcome people from all backgrounds, all walks of life, all religions and sexual orientations. We have foster parents who are single, married, with or without their own children, from age 25 up to their 80s.

Here are the main requirements to foster:

Be over 21 years old (there’s no upper age limit)
Have a spare bedroom but you don’t need to own your own house
Be a British Citizen or have indefinite leave to remain
Plenty of patience, energy, resilience and commitment

Do I need any special qualifications or experience to foster?

In short, no. When you first start your fostering journey, all you need is bags of energy, patience, resilience and commitment.

We’ll give you all the training and support you need to foster and look after a child in your care. Once you are approved, the training doesn’t stop there, as we have a range of fostering training courses both online and face to face to help you to continue to develop your skills. When you foster with us you are never on your own.

Get in touch today

Can I foster if I’m single?

Of course! A lot of our foster parents at FCA are single – some are single men, single women, and others are single parents as well.

Can I foster if I am gay?

You can definitely foster if you are gay. We are proud to welcome LGBTQ foster parents so find out more about joining FCA today!

Am I too old to start fostering?

There is no upper age limit to becoming a foster parent, as long as you are able to care for a child and meet their needs.

What next?

Take a look at the fostering process or read through our FAQs if you are still unsure if you can foster. Alternatively you can give us a call on 0800 023 4561 and we can chat more about fostering and answer any questions you have.

Get in touch

Whether you’re ready to foster a child, or just want some more information, contact our team to find out more.

Enquiry Form

You are required to have a spare bedroom that’s always available to a foster child. The spare room cannot be shared, and must be big enough to fit a single bed, a wardrobe and a chest of drawers.

Do you have a spare room?*

To be approved as a foster carer in the UK, you must be a British citizen or have the legal right to remain in the UK without restrictions that would prevent fostering.

Which of the following applies to you?*

How can we help you with your enquiry?*

The following questions are intended to help us understand your experience with children. Please note that prior experience is not required to become a foster carer, as full training will be provided.

Have you had children of your own?*

Do you have professional experience of working with children?*

Have you had any prior experience of fostering, such as being a foster parent or growing up in a fostering family?*

Have you ever adopted a child?*

Are you happy to receive regular fostering news from us?*

Yes

No

First Name*

Last Name*

Phone Number*

Email Address*

Postcode*