Got a burning question about fostering? Anxious about an issue?
Below are some Q&As we hope will help. If you have any other questions please leave a comment.
Note the answers are from our experiences and there might be some slight variations nationally.
Q. Do I have to own a house to foster?
A. No, you can be buying or renting.
Q. Do I have to have a spare room to foster?
A. Yes. It's really important that the child has their own room, to give them privacy and space, and also to benefit yourself and your family.
Q. Can I be LGBT+ and foster?
A. Yes, of course. It would be illegal for you to be discriminated against, and your sexual orientation or gender identity are no barrier. In fact, they can a huge advantage. E.g. there could be a child scared of women, but being with a male couple would benefit them, as the child will be looked after by men.
Q. Can I have a lodger and foster?
A. Yes, but the lodger would have to be DBS checked and interviewed. Once you start fostering, if you need to change lodger, your fostering would be suspended until the new lodger is checked over.
Q. Can I have my own children and foster?
A. Yes, of course, however boundaries would need to be set about your children going in the foster child's bedroom and vice versa. Also it's normally recommended that foster children are younger than your own children.
Q. Do I have to drive a car to foster?
A. Some agencies make this a requirement, but generally local authorities don't. We don't drive and it just means a bit more planning is needed about getting kids from a to b.
Q. Can you work and foster?
A. Yes, to an extent. If you're single it would be harder because you need to be there for the child, but if they're school age they can go to breakfast and after school clubs as well as school whilst you work. If you're in a relationship it is much easier to juggle work and foster. As it happens we are single and make fostering work.
Q. Can I have pets and foster?
A. Yes, however they will need to be checked out by your agency or local authority. They might ask questions like where do they sleep, toilet, eat, are they good with children. Children who are allergic to pets or scared of them wouldn't be placed with you.
Q. Do you get paid to foster?
A. If you do mainstream fostering you get an allowance rather than a salary. This is to cover all the costs of looking after the child and will usually leave you with some money left over. If you foster with an agency the allowance will be more, usually, but also generally you'll be dealing with harder children at an agency.
Normally the allowance is graded in two ways. You get more money if the child is older. You also get more money if you are more experienced.
If you do specialist fostering, such as children with complex mental health needs you may be salaried, and generally would apply for this role like a job.
Q. Will any allowance affect my benefits?
A. If you are a level 1 carer, as in a newbie, no. If you are level 2 or 3 then it may, but your fostering provider should be able to help you out with the forms needed etc.
Q. Do I need to pay tax on my earnings or register as self employed?
A. If you are a Level 1 carer then the amount you receive is tax free, and you do not need to register as self employed. If you are Level 2 or 3, you will pay some tax and do need to register as self employed.
Q. Do I get my own social worker?
A. Yes. You will be assigned a social worker that looks after you. This will be a different social worker to the child who has been placed with you.
Q. What kind of support is available?
A. This varies greatly. Your local area might have a fostering association with monthly meetings. You may see your social worker regularly or they could be largely absent and mainly contact you over email or the phone. Counselling might be on offer if you're finding something particularly difficult.
Q. Is there development and training.
A. Yes, generally. Most providers expect a minimum amount of training each year, such as first aid, dealing with difficult situations, dealing with birth families etc. There are also mandatory training books that need completely in order to process through the carer levels. These can be found on the government website.
Q. Can I foster if I was in care myself.
A. Yes. Your care status won't be a barrier as long as you meet the other requirements. You will be treated like any other applicant, and you'll have extra insights to bring to the table.
Q. Can I foster if I have a criminal record.
A. Yes, depending on what the offence was. Minor offences are not usually a barrier. Discuss these with your social worker when you apply.
Q. Can I foster if I have had health issues?
A. Yes, depending on what they are. The key thing is your ability to look after a child, not your health in the past. If your ill health reoccurs you should inform your social worker and you may have to pause your fostering whilst you recover.
Q. How old do you have to be?
A. You need to be at least 21 for mainstream fostering, and 25 for specialist roles. There is no upper age limit.
Q. How many children can I look after?
A. Normally the limit is three at any one time, and you must have sufficient space for each child, plus the time and ability to look after them. In very rare cases a court order can be granted allowing a carer to look after four or more children at the same time, usually siblings, however this is unlikely as the carer would need room for all these kids!
We hope this helps. Love Bristol Fostering.
Check out are FB Here
NB Bristol Fostering is a personal blog and not affiliated with any fostering agency. The author just happens to be a foster carer in Bristol, UK
We do recommend Bristol Council though as they're fab. Bristol Council fostering enquiry form
Below are some Q&As we hope will help. If you have any other questions please leave a comment.
Note the answers are from our experiences and there might be some slight variations nationally.
Q. Do I have to own a house to foster?
A. No, you can be buying or renting.
Q. Do I have to have a spare room to foster?
A. Yes. It's really important that the child has their own room, to give them privacy and space, and also to benefit yourself and your family.
Q. Can I be LGBT+ and foster?
A. Yes, of course. It would be illegal for you to be discriminated against, and your sexual orientation or gender identity are no barrier. In fact, they can a huge advantage. E.g. there could be a child scared of women, but being with a male couple would benefit them, as the child will be looked after by men.
Q. Can I have a lodger and foster?
A. Yes, but the lodger would have to be DBS checked and interviewed. Once you start fostering, if you need to change lodger, your fostering would be suspended until the new lodger is checked over.
Q. Can I have my own children and foster?
A. Yes, of course, however boundaries would need to be set about your children going in the foster child's bedroom and vice versa. Also it's normally recommended that foster children are younger than your own children.
Q. Do I have to drive a car to foster?
A. Some agencies make this a requirement, but generally local authorities don't. We don't drive and it just means a bit more planning is needed about getting kids from a to b.
Q. Can you work and foster?
A. Yes, to an extent. If you're single it would be harder because you need to be there for the child, but if they're school age they can go to breakfast and after school clubs as well as school whilst you work. If you're in a relationship it is much easier to juggle work and foster. As it happens we are single and make fostering work.
Q. Can I have pets and foster?
A. Yes, however they will need to be checked out by your agency or local authority. They might ask questions like where do they sleep, toilet, eat, are they good with children. Children who are allergic to pets or scared of them wouldn't be placed with you.
Q. Do you get paid to foster?
A. If you do mainstream fostering you get an allowance rather than a salary. This is to cover all the costs of looking after the child and will usually leave you with some money left over. If you foster with an agency the allowance will be more, usually, but also generally you'll be dealing with harder children at an agency.
Normally the allowance is graded in two ways. You get more money if the child is older. You also get more money if you are more experienced.
If you do specialist fostering, such as children with complex mental health needs you may be salaried, and generally would apply for this role like a job.
Q. Will any allowance affect my benefits?
A. If you are a level 1 carer, as in a newbie, no. If you are level 2 or 3 then it may, but your fostering provider should be able to help you out with the forms needed etc.
Q. Do I need to pay tax on my earnings or register as self employed?
A. If you are a Level 1 carer then the amount you receive is tax free, and you do not need to register as self employed. If you are Level 2 or 3, you will pay some tax and do need to register as self employed.
Q. Do I get my own social worker?
A. Yes. You will be assigned a social worker that looks after you. This will be a different social worker to the child who has been placed with you.
Q. What kind of support is available?
A. This varies greatly. Your local area might have a fostering association with monthly meetings. You may see your social worker regularly or they could be largely absent and mainly contact you over email or the phone. Counselling might be on offer if you're finding something particularly difficult.
Q. Is there development and training.
A. Yes, generally. Most providers expect a minimum amount of training each year, such as first aid, dealing with difficult situations, dealing with birth families etc. There are also mandatory training books that need completely in order to process through the carer levels. These can be found on the government website.
Q. Can I foster if I was in care myself.
A. Yes. Your care status won't be a barrier as long as you meet the other requirements. You will be treated like any other applicant, and you'll have extra insights to bring to the table.
Q. Can I foster if I have a criminal record.
A. Yes, depending on what the offence was. Minor offences are not usually a barrier. Discuss these with your social worker when you apply.
Q. Can I foster if I have had health issues?
A. Yes, depending on what they are. The key thing is your ability to look after a child, not your health in the past. If your ill health reoccurs you should inform your social worker and you may have to pause your fostering whilst you recover.
Q. How old do you have to be?
A. You need to be at least 21 for mainstream fostering, and 25 for specialist roles. There is no upper age limit.
Q. How many children can I look after?
A. Normally the limit is three at any one time, and you must have sufficient space for each child, plus the time and ability to look after them. In very rare cases a court order can be granted allowing a carer to look after four or more children at the same time, usually siblings, however this is unlikely as the carer would need room for all these kids!
We hope this helps. Love Bristol Fostering.
Check out are FB Here
NB Bristol Fostering is a personal blog and not affiliated with any fostering agency. The author just happens to be a foster carer in Bristol, UK
We do recommend Bristol Council though as they're fab. Bristol Council fostering enquiry form
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