Who can foster?

• You must be over 21, have a spare bedroom and have the space and time in your life to be able to foster.
• Aside from this, almost anyone can foster! It doesn’t matter if you’re gay, straight, single, married, religious or any combination of the above - we want to hear from you!
• All that matters is that you care as much as we do about the future of children and young people in care.

When it comes to being a foster parent and fostering a child, it’s your personal qualities that count. The children and young people referred to Family Fostering Partners come from many different backgrounds, which is why we are proud to work with foster parents who are equally diverse.

No two children are the same and no two carers are alike either! People from all walk’s of life, diverse backgrounds and with differing experiences can foster. We actively encourage anyone who has a genuine interest in childcare to consider applying. Fostering is an experience that is not just life-changing for the young person but for the parent too - changing both of your lives for the better!

Apart from a few basic criteria, there really aren’t any hard and fast rules about who can foster. You do need to be over 21, have a spare bedroom, and be able to provide a stable home to a looked after child or young person in need. If you tick these boxes, then you are ready to begin your fostering journey with us and start your application!

A few other important things to consider before you apply is what makes a good parent. You do not need any experience or qualifications to be a carer, but you should definitely have some personal qualities that will make you well-suited to child care. Being a foster parent means that you will:

• Enjoy looking after children, spending time with them and taking an active interest in their life.
• Have the time, patience and resilience to support a child who may present challenging behaviour.
• Be willing to learn, grow and develop in your role with support and training from Family Fostering Partners.
• Be a team player, and work with link workers, teachers, families and others to put the needs of the child first.
• Be confident, calm, open-minded and ready to listen to the worries or concerns of a child.

If you feel like you’re the kind of person who fits this description, then fostering could be a fantastic option for you. Before you apply, you should also consider a few more factors such as your physical and mental health, your financial circumstances and your ability to get around. Looking after a child can be a lot of work and you need to be reasonably fit enough to handle that, plus you may need access to a vehicle to ensure you can take the child to any meetings, classes or appointments. If you cannot drive, consider how good the public transport is in your area and if it would be feasible for you to use this regularly. Also, whilst you are paid a fostering allowance, you should consider your personal finances to be sure that you are stable and secure enough to provide for any child that comes under your care.

If you are passionate about making a difference and would love the opportunity to change a child’s life for the better, don’t let worries about not being right for the role stop you! There are so many misleading myths surrounding fostering that cause prospective carers to rule themselves out unnecessarily. So if you have a genuine interest in becoming a foster parent with Family Fostering Partners - what’s stopping you?