Become a foster family

What skills do I need to Foster?

Many people believe that formal qualifications are required to become a foster carer and as you will have learned from our website; this is not the case. You will, however, hear people talk about the skills and abilities you need to be successfully approved as a foster carer. What does this mean? Well it simply means the practical abilities you possess as a person and how they will be used to support a young person. For example; you may be great at encouraging and motivating children and making them feel important and valued for their skills. Or you may be great at calming people down during a crisis and preventing the situation getting out of hand.

Agencies are always keen to recruit people who have had previous experience in working with children and young people, especially those who have supported children with difficult backgrounds. But this is not an essential requirement and experience of bringing up a family is a very valuable (although not essential) skill and will be one you can put to good use as a foster carer.

Training and Development

Once you apply to become a foster carer, the Agency will carry out a detailed ‘assessment’ of you and during this they will be looking closely at the practical skills and abilities you possess and how these could be put to use as a foster carer. Often the assessment will highlight that there are areas where you may be less confident and need support and training to develop the skills and knowledge you will require. To help develop these skills you will be invited to attend a preparation course called ‘Skills to foster’ which will equip you with the basic skills and knowledge you need.

Throughout your time as an approved Foster Carer your agency will invest in your development by offering you continued training opportunities and development of your skills and knowledge through monthly supervision with your allocated Social Worker.

What to do next

If you are considering becoming a foster carer and would like to know more, Fostering Connections can help you make an informed decision and also connect you with suitable fostering agencies in your area. Simply complete our Register Your Interest form or request a call back from a member of our team.