When Fostering Connections have been ‘out and about’ raising awareness of the need to find foster carers, something we often hear is,  ‘I wouldn’t know how to do it!’ People have a genuine desire to foster children but the lack of information and belief that they wouldn’t be eligible serves to discourage them from applying.

So where do you start? The first thing is to do a little research. Fostering Connections can help you with this: our website www.fosteringconnections.co.uk is full of information about the qualities required to foster and the basic eligibility criteria for making an application.

Things to Consider

You need to consider the type of foster care you wish to offer, for example to you want to foster on a short term basis for children who need emergency placements or are you looking to welcome a child into your family on a long term basis which may extend several years? Have you thought about the age group you might be interested in fostering? All children bring with them different challenges and you need to be fully aware of the behavioural issues children may display at different stages in their lives. Fostering is a ‘family’ business; that is to say everyone who lives in your home will be part of the fostering experience and therefore it is vital that all the family understand the challenges it will bring, the impact it may have on the family as a whole and are agreed about making an application.

Fostering children and teenagers is a challenging undertaking and for this reason the application process is very thorough. The Fostering Agency needs to be 100% sure that you have the skills and qualities needed to support vulnerable and often damaged children. You can expect the process to last around 4 -6 months and will need to be visited by a social worker on several occasions who will gather all the information they need to consider your application. This process is very in depth and you will need to be completely open and honest about your personal experiences and family life. If you are considering applying to become a foster carer then you will need to embrace this level of questioning during the assessment process.

What to do next.

Too much to take in? It can be daunting and sometimes overwhelming but we set up Fostering Connections to offer support to people considering fostering. Our website has all the information you need to make an informed decision to foster and if there’s anything you can’t find then please contact us and we will be only too happy to answer any questions. Once you have decided to apply, we can even help you find a suitable agency in your area. So make yourself a cuppa and settle down to do some research. Good luck!!