How to foster a child

People often ask us how you can foster a child and what you need to do to be approved as a foster carer. 

Enquiring about fostering

The first step to becoming a foster carer is to enquire about fostering with St Christopher’s. You can do this by completing our online enquiry form or ring us on 0800 234 6282.

If you enquire online we will call you back and have an initial discussion with you about fostering. The questions we will ask you at this stage are very general. (For example, do you have a spare room? Do you have children under the age of 18 in the house?) To give us some background information on you.

This is also a great opportunity for you to ask questions you may have about fostering, what it will involve, the effect fostering will have on your children, the financial package and training and support offered.

Information meeting

Once you’re ready to proceed with your enquiry, the next stage is for a member of our fostering team to visit you in your home to discuss fostering in more detail. This is an opportunity for everyone to get to know each other better.

When you are ready to go into assessment to be a foster carer we will send you an application form to complete and send back to us.

Preparation training

Preparation training is a three day course or induction into fostering that will give you more insight about what fostering involves and start to prepare you for welcoming a foster child into your life. Typically preparation training is done in groups of six to eight applicants, giving you the opportunity to meet others going through the same process.

Assessment

Throughout the assessment process you will have regular one-to-one meetings with a social worker while we gather all the information we need to approve you as a foster carer. The social worker will produce something we call a form f, this is a document designed by BritishAssociation for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF).

Panel

Panel is the final hurdle and is where you will formally be recommended for approval as a foster carer. The paperwork produced by the social worker involved in your assessment will be shared with panel members and this is their opportunity to ask you any questions that they may have. But don’t forget, you can also ask them any questions you may have about St Christopher’s.

If you would like to find out a bit more about our panel members please visit our website.

First foster child

Once you’re approved as a foster carer we will work with local authorities to identify and match you with children that you could foster and make a difference to. Throughout your time with St Christopher’s we will support you by providing an excellent training and support package.

For further information about fostering please visit our website or ring us on 0800 234 6282.