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. There aren’t any hard and fast rules about who can foster children and young people, so forget the myths, here is what you need in order to foster:

What you need:

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
Generally you’ll need to be able to foster full time, but there are a few exceptions
Plenty of patience, energy, resilience and commitment

What you don’t:

To be married or in a relationship
Already be a parent (we give you lots of support and training)
Any specific qualifications or experience in childcare
You can foster regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability

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.

Can I foster?

Many people rule themselves out of fostering but actually all kinds of people make wonderful foster parents.

When it comes to being a foster parent, it’s your personal qualities that count. We proudly welcome people from all backgrounds, all walks of life, all religions and sexual orientations. If you’ve got plenty of patience, resilience, empathy and commitment then we would love to hear from you!

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 speak to you and answer any questions you have.

Get in touch

Ready to start fostering a child or young person? Or just want a bit more information to help you decide whether fostering is for you? All you need to do is contact us.

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