Fostering Panel Questions and Answers: What to Expect

Reaching the fostering panel is a key moment in your journey to becoming a foster parent. Understandably, many applicants feel unsure about what the experience will involve, which is why having clear guidance on fostering panel questions and answers can be so helpful. This stage involves a panel made up of independent professionals, alongside members of the Family Fostering Partners team, who will ask questions designed to explore your motivations, experiences, and understanding of fostering. 

In this guide, we’ll explain what to expect, share common foster care questions and answers, and help you feel as prepared and confident as possible.

 

What is the Fostering Panel?

Every fostering agency is required to have a fostering panel in place. This panel is independent of the fostering agency itself and plays a vital role in ensuring objectivity, fairness, and compliance with all fostering regulations. It acts as a safeguarding measure, reviewing applications and making key recommendations that affect both new and existing foster carers.

The panel is made up of a diverse board of skilled individuals, including members of the Family Fostering Partners team and independent professionals with direct or lived experience of fostering. This might include foster carers, care-experienced people, social workers, teachers, and health professionals. Together, they meet to make recommendations on several important matters, such as:

• Who will be accepted as an approved registered carer, along with guidance on the type of care they can provide
  
• Reviewing existing carers through their annual review to assess ongoing suitability
  
• De-registering carers who no longer meet regulations or no longer wish to continue
  
• Providing advice and recommendations on any issues brought to the panel, including serious allegations made against a foster carer
  

Once you’ve completed your Form F assessment with support from your Senior Supervising Social Worker, your full application will be presented to the panel. This group includes a mix of Family Fostering Partners staff, independent members, and people with first-hand experience of fostering, either as carers or as individuals who have been in care themselves.

 

Fostering Panel Assessment

You’ll be invited to attend the fostering panel assessment and asked some questions about your application. This gives the panel a chance to get a better understanding of your journey so far and helps clarify any points from your fostering assessment questions. It also gives you the opportunity to raise any queries of your own.

Although it may seem daunting, it’s important to remember that you’re not on your own. Your assessing social worker will be with you throughout to provide support and guidance. Preparing by reviewing common foster care questions and answers can help you feel more confident, but ultimately, the panel is there to ensure the best outcomes for everyone involved in fostering, including you.

 

 

Preparing to Meet the Panel & Answer Fostering Assessment Questions

All new carers will have their application presented to the panel. You will be fully prepared for what to expect by the link worker who has been supporting you throughout your application. Think of the panel like any standard job interview. We understand you may feel nervous, and we’ll do everything we can to help you feel comfortable and reassured.

Panel members may ask for clarification on certain parts of your application or explore any remaining points in more detail. These conversations will take the shape of simple foster care questions and answers, designed to help the panel get to know you better and ensure everything is in place for a successful placement.

At Family Fostering Partners, we welcome applicants from all walks of life and with a wide range of experiences. The fostering panel is a valuable opportunity for us to understand more about you, your journey, and the kind of care you’re ready to provide.

 

How Can You Prepare?

While you don’t need to memorise anything ahead of the fostering panel, there are a few simple ways to feel more confident and prepared:

• Reflect on your Form F Report – Remind yourself of what’s in your application so the panel’s questions feel more familiar.
  
• Think about your motivations – Be ready to talk openly about why you want to foster and what you’re hoping to offer a child.
  
• Have a few examples in mind – If asked about your support network or experiences, real-life examples can help your answers feel natural.
  
• Get a good night’s sleep – It might sound obvious, but feeling rested can make a big difference on the day.
  
• Ask your social worker – If there’s anything you’re unsure about, your assessing social worker is there to guide you and answer your questions.
  

Finally, remember that the fostering panel isn’t trying to catch you out. It’s a space for open conversation, where both you and the panel can feel confident about moving forward.

 

What Should You Wear?

There’s no need to dress formally for your fostering panel, smart casual is absolutely fine. The aim is for you to feel comfortable while you answer the fostering panel questions and answers. The panel will be focused on your responses and your readiness to foster, not on what you’re wearing, so choose something that helps you feel relaxed, confident and represents you as a person.

 

 

What Fostering Assessment Questions Can You Expect?

The fostering panel may ask a range of fostering assessment questions based on the content of your Form F application. These questions are intended to clarify any details that may need further discussion. You might also be asked about your motivation to foster, who you can rely on for support, and what you’ve enjoyed or learned during the assessment process.

On the day of the panel, the panel chair will step out to introduce themselves and let you know what the fostering panel questions will be before you enter the room. With your assessing social worker by your side, you'll then answer these questions in front of the panel members, who are simply there to gain a fuller picture of your readiness to foster.

 

1. Why do you Want to Become a Foster Parent?

This is one of the most common foster care questions and answers shared during the panel meeting. The best approach is to be honest and speak from the heart. Explain your personal motivations for fostering and what has inspired you to take this path.

For example, you might say:
“I want to be a foster parent because I have friends who foster. I’ve seen the positive impact they’ve made on the lives of children in their care, and I’d like to be able to make a positive difference too.”

 

2. What is Your Support Network Like?

This is a common topic that often comes up as part of fostering assessment questions. The panel will want to know who you can turn to for both practical help and emotional support as you begin your fostering journey. Think about friends, family, and neighbours who can be there for you day to day, or offer guidance when needed.

If you don’t have close family nearby, that’s okay, be ready to explain the support you do have. For example:
“Although I have no family that live locally to offer me practical support, I know that I can phone them for emotional support or advice should I need it. My neighbours and friends have offered to help where they can, with things like picking up my birth daughter from activities or meeting up for play dates.”

 

3. How Have You Found the Assessment Process?

Be honest in your response. This is one of the fostering panel questions and answers that gives you the opportunity to share your thoughts and feelings about the assessment process in general. Within your answer, you may also choose to speak about your working relationship with your assessing social worker.

For example:
“I initially felt nervous about the assessment process, however I felt comfortable talking to my assessing social worker. Remembering things in my life was a very cathartic experience, and I learnt a lot about myself such as ….”

 

4. What Are You Most Looking forward to in Your Fostering Journey?

The panel will be interested to gain an understanding of your motivations to foster. This is one of the more personal foster care questions and answers, giving you the chance to speak from the heart.

Your answer could be:
“I’m really looking forward to having young people in my home. It’s been a long time since my own children were little, and it will be nice to have a lively home again.”
Or:
“I’m looking forward to continually learning and taking part in the training Family Fostering Partners offer. I’m excited to put what I’ve learnt into practice and help a child who needs a supportive home.”

Remember, you don’t need to prepare perfect answers before attending the fostering panel. Your assessing social worker will be there to support you, and if you’re unsure about a question, you can always ask the panel to rephrase it.

 

 

What Happens After Your Fostering Panel Questions and Answers

Once you’ve completed your fostering panel questions and answers, the panel will meet privately to finalise their recommendation. They’ll consider your full application, the discussion during the panel, and any clarifications made during your meeting. This recommendation is then passed on to the Agency Decision Maker, who will review everything and make the final decision about your approval.

 

The Fostering Panel Decision

All independent fostering agencies will have an Agency Decision Maker. This person is solely responsible for making the final decision regarding your application. They will receive a copy of your application, along with the minutes from the fostering panel, and will take into account any thoughts or recommendations shared during the fostering panel questions and answers stage. It’s then up to them to make the final call.

Decision options include:

• Approval
  
• Rejection
  
• Deferral

You won’t have to wait long for the outcome, your assessing social worker will contact you as soon as the decision is made. If you’re approved, you’ll officially become a registered foster parent with Family Fostering Partners. It’s the final step in the process of how to become a foster parent, and the beginning of the next exciting stage: matching you with a child or young person who needs your care and support.

 

Possible Reasons for Rejection

In some cases, the panel or Agency Decision Maker may decide that fostering is not the right fit at this time. This can feel disappointing, but it’s important to understand that the decision is made with the best interests of children in mind.

Common reasons for rejection may include:

• Significant gaps in experience or understanding that could impact your ability to foster safely
• Concerns raised during the assessment process that haven’t been fully resolved
• Unwillingness to engage with training or support
• Home environment or lifestyle factors that may not meet fostering standards
  

If your application is not approved, you’ll be given feedback and, where possible, advice on how to move forward. In some cases, you may be able to reapply in the future after addressing the concerns raised.

 

 

Start Your Fostering Journey Today

Reaching the fostering panel can feel like a big milestone, and it is, but it’s also just the final step in confirming what you already know: that you’re ready to make a difference. With the right preparation, support, and understanding of the fostering assessment questions, you’ll be able to approach the day with confidence. Remember, the panel isn’t there to trip you up, it’s there to ensure the very best outcomes for children, and for you as a future foster parent.

If you still have questions or would like to talk through anything in more detail, we’re here to help. Get in touch with our team for advice on foster care questions and answers or to chat about the next step in your application.

 

Foster Care Questions and Answers

How to pass a fostering assessment?

There’s no trick to passing a fostering assessment, it’s about being open, honest, and willing to learn. The assessment looks at your lifestyle, experience, motivation to foster, and the support network around you. Work closely with your link worker, ask questions when you need to, and be yourself throughout the process. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about showing you can provide a safe, supportive home for a child.

 

Who attends the fostering panel?

The fostering panel is made up of a mix of independent professionals and members of the fostering agency. At Family Fostering Partners, this includes staff members, social workers, teachers, health professionals, experienced foster carers, and care-experienced individuals. The panel is chaired by someone independent of the agency to ensure fairness and objectivity.

 

What questions are asked at the fostering panel?

Questions at the fostering panel usually relate to your Form F Report and may touch on your motivation to foster, your support network, and what you’ve learned during the assessment process. You might also be asked to reflect on any challenges or personal experiences that have shaped your decision to foster. The panel isn’t there to catch you out, they simply want to clarify any final points and get to know you better.