Whatever your age, ethnicity or personal circumstances, fostering could be for you. You do not have to own your home or be employed. The most important qualities we look for are that you can provide stability and security to a child.
Fostering is not something you can do in isolation as it will affect your family and your close friends. If you have children of your own, you must consider how they will respond to sharing you and your home. If you have a partner, fostering must be something you both want to do.
We want to hear from you if you’re interested in becoming a foster carer. Please complete our enquiry form.
We would prefer you to have some experience of looking after children. This could be through bringing up your own family, working with children or voluntary work such as helping out at a play group or youth club.
You can also work and foster, but if you work full-time it may limit the kinds of fostering you can do.
We have foster carers from a range of backgrounds. We do not expect foster carers to have straightforward lives and will deal with your family background sympathetically.
Having a criminal record won’t necessarily rule you out but you must tell us about it. If you’ve been convicted of violent or sexual offences you won’t be able to foster.
Most of all you need to have commitment, patience and the ability to share your life and home with children who need your support.
For more information about the fostering process, click here.
Page last updated: 19 June, 2012
