How long does foster carer training take?

The timetable for foster carer training is set by the fostering provider and is usually completed during the pre-approval process. It may be delivered through several planned sessions rather than one continuous course. The exact length depends on the course structure, the type of fostering being considered, your previous experience and how quickly you can attend each session.

Training is normally coordinated with the assessment of your suitability to foster. This means learning and assessment can take place alongside one another. You may attend training sessions, discuss what you have learned with your assessing social worker and then consider how the information relates to your household, relationships and reasons for fostering.

What can affect the timescale?

• Course format: training may be arranged as a concentrated programme or spread across separate sessions. Some elements may be delivered in person, while others may use online learning or guided reading.
• Your availability: all required sessions need to be attended, so work, caring responsibilities, holidays or other commitments can affect when the programme is completed.
• Experience and preparation: previous work with children, parenting experience or relevant professional knowledge may help you understand some topics, but it does not remove the need to complete the provider’s required training.
• The fostering role being considered: training may need to reflect the age, needs and circumstances of the children you may care for. More specialised fostering arrangements can involve additional preparation.
• Questions identified during assessment: your assessing social worker may recommend further reading, discussion or learning where a particular subject needs more attention before approval.

What does the training cover? Pre-approval training gives you a practical understanding of the role and the responsibilities that come with it. Topics commonly include safeguarding, child development, attachment and trauma, safer caring, managing behaviour, promoting health and education, maintaining records and working with social workers, schools and other professionals.

You will also explore how fostering may affect your household. This can include agreeing boundaries, considering confidentiality, preparing other children in the home, responding to challenging situations and understanding how contact with a child’s family may be managed. The purpose is not simply to test your knowledge; it is to help you think through the day-to-day decisions involved in caring for a child who may have experienced disruption or harm.

Training is only one part of the approval process. You will also need to provide information for the assessment, complete the required checks and take part in home visits and discussions with your assessing social worker. The completed assessment is considered through the provider’s approval process, so finishing the training course does not by itself mean that approval has been granted.

Learning continues after approval. Foster carers are expected to keep developing their knowledge once they begin fostering. Further learning may address the needs of a particular child, changes in guidance, safeguarding issues or subjects identified through supervision and reviews. This means pre-approval training should be viewed as the foundation for the role, rather than a qualification that completes your learning.

When you first enquire, ask the fostering provider how its training is arranged, whether sessions are held on set dates, what preparation is required and how missed sessions are handled. You can also ask how training fits alongside assessment appointments and what additional learning may be needed for the type of fostering you are considering. These details will give you a more accurate personal timetable than a general estimate.