Are you thinking about becoming a foster carer? Fostering can be an incredibly enriching and rewarding experience for both a foster carer and the young people they look after. If you’re considering becoming a foster parent, this section will help to answer all your questions, from the physical practicalities to the criteria and the application process.

About becoming a foster carer

If you’re considering fostering, there are lots of things to think about. Whilst you may have all the necessary compassion and dedication, you should also think about the following:

Resources

When becoming a foster carer, you’ll need to have the physical space in your home to accommodate a child or young person. This means a spare room and a home that has enough space to accommodate a new addition to your family.

You must also have the time to care for a foster child, this means being there when they need to talk or having the time to attend meetings, school runs, training sessions or parent teacher evenings if necessary.

Qualities

There are certain qualities you’ll need to demonstrate if you are considering becoming a foster carer. These include, but aren’t limited to, being flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances, and being resilient with strong family relationships within your own family.

This provides a solid foundation for children and young people who need to enter a happy, stable environment in order to flourish. You’ll need to have a genuine love for working with young people and making a real difference in their lives, and be prepared to work in partnership with them, as well as all the other people which are involved in their life.

Becoming a foster carer with UK Fostering

If you’d like to know more about what it means to become a foster carer, or what you’ll need to become one, browse this section for more information. If you still have questions, we’d be happy to help; simply call us and speak to one of the team.