There are as many different types of foster carers as there are children in care
Foster carers can be married, single, divorced or living in a same-sex partnership. When it comes to providing foster care, every kind of cultural, racial and social background is as valued and respected as the next.
You do not need to be a home owner, nor do you have to have a minimum monthly income. What matters to us is your ability to provide a safe and supportive home to a child who, for whatever reason, is temporarily separated from their family.
We get asked a lot about whether you need to have any special qualifications to apply to become a foster carer. The answer is no. We provide prospective carers with all the preparatory training they need to get started, and ongoing training too to help them develop their professional fostering skills. So rather than qualifications, what we look for are the special qualities that would make you a good foster carer - like kindness, patience, commitment and a real desire to help young people - in fact all the same qualities as being a good parent, guardian or role model.
Basic requirements to foster
There are some fundamental requirements that we believe a foster carer should meet in order to be able to provide a safe and supportive home for a child and to carry out the day-to-day role of a foster carer. These are:
- being over the age of 25
- having a spare bedroom for the child to call their own
- experience with children, either through work, raising your own children or helping to care for younger siblings for example
- in most cases, being able to drive and having access to a computer
If you think you could foster please apply online today to receive our Welcome to Fostering pack with more information about fostering with us.