Foster caring is a great way to make a difference in a child’s life. As a foster carer, you have the opportunity to provide a safe and nurturing home for a child who has been removed from their family due to abuse or neglect. In addition to meeting the basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing, you also provide the love and support that every child deserves.
Foster caring is a big responsibility, but it is also an immensely rewarding experience. If you are interested in becoming a foster carer but are unsure what to expect, here’s a guide to what the process involves.
The stages of becoming a foster carer
If you want to foster, you’ll need to undergo a comprehensive vetting process to ensure you’re able to care for the UK’s most vulnerable children. Additionally, these measures give you time to reflect on whether fostering is the right path for you. While uncommon, some applicants may change their minds once they understand the commitment required.
Not every local authority or private agency follows the same sequence, but the steps stay the same.
They include:
- Make an enquiry
- Home visit
- Assessment and training
- Panel interview
- Approval
The most common question we get asked by applicants is: “How long does the fostering process take?” The answer is, usually around six months, but some of our applications are approved in as little as 12 weeks. Ultimately, the more time you can commit, the quicker everything will be finalised.
8 roles and responsibilities of a foster carer
Fostering is multi-faceted and incredibly rewarding – no two days are the same, and your responsibilities change depending on a child’s needs and age. However, generally, you should:
- Provide a loving and safe home
- Support a child’s physical development
- Promote a child’s emotional well-being
- Encourage learning at school and home
- Maintain a relationship with birth families where possible
- Prepare a child for life after care
- Understand the impact fostering has on birth children
- Attend training courses
What to expect on your first day
On the very first day that your foster child arrives, you’ll probably feel nervous, as it’s a big day for everyone involved. Your new arrival will probably be tired from all the big changes, so try not to plan too much for the day other than a general orientation of your home and maybe a tour of the area.
Make sure they know where their bedroom is and where they can put any possessions they have. If they are reluctant to part with any possessions straight away, respect their space and allow them to keep anything with them throughout the day that may be a source of comfort, e.g., a teddy bear or blanket.
It’s important that you understand that you will be a stranger to your new foster children, and trust will have to be built with time. If they want to spend time alone, give them the ability to do that, and don’t try and force them to integrate with the family all at once. The child will eventually start to trust you as time moves on, but each child will do so in their own time.
Most of our foster children will have very few possessions, so it’s always a good idea to buy the basics for their arrival.
Foster carer payments
Of course, people foster because they care about the physical and emotional well-being of children. However, it’s perfectly normal to wonder about pay, and whether you can make a living through this kind of work.
Foster carers receive a weekly allowance to cover costs, including food, clothes, travel, and other expenses. Additionally, you might be eligible for fee payments – one-off sums that recognise your experience and time invested.
It’s often possible to work while fostering, depending on the age of your placement child. If your foster children are in full-time education, you may be able to have a career outside of caring.
With that said, foster carers must be available 24/7 to provide comprehensive support, whether that’s taking children to doctor’s appointments, therapy groups, or meetings with their birth family.
Keep in mind that all foster carers are self-employed in the UK, so you’ll have to complete a self-assessment and pay tax. However, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) introduced Qualifying Care Relief, which grants carers a tax-free amount to be deducted from their total fostering payments.
What’s more, you may be entitled to certain benefits, including Working Tax Credit.
Fostering agencies across the UK
Here are four of the UK’s leading independent fostering agencies. Together, they believe all children deserve a stable, loving home environment. But they need people like you!
In addition to the exceptional 24/7 support they provide, all of their foster carers receive extensive training throughout their assessment process, followed by ongoing and comprehensive training once approved.
Covering Kent to Cornwall.
Covering the Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Liverpool and parts of Leeds area.
Covering South and West Wales, with offices located in Cardiff and Carmarthen.
Covering Bedfordshire, Derby, Birmingham, Telford, Gloucester, Harrow, Essex, Cambridge and Norfolk.
