Can I choose which foster placements I accept?

Your preferences form part of the matching process, but they do not operate as a fixed list of placements you can select from. Before approval, you will discuss the types of fostering you may be able to provide with your assessing social worker. This helps establish the age range, number of children, placement length and level of need that could be appropriate for your household.

Approval is based on your circumstances, skills, experience, home and support network. It may take account of factors such as:

• the age and gender of children you could care for;
• whether you could care for one child, siblings or more than one child;
• whether short-term, long-term, respite or emergency placements would suit your household;
• your experience of caring for children with particular behaviours, disabilities or health needs;
• the space, sleeping arrangements and safety features in your home;
• your work, childcare responsibilities, transport arrangements and other commitments;
• the impact of a placement on children or adults already living in your household; and
• your ability to support a child’s identity, culture, religion, language, education and family relationships.

These discussions help define the terms of your approval. They are considered alongside the individual information provided about a child when a placement is proposed. A placement should only proceed when the needs of the child and the practical circumstances of the household have been properly considered.

You should be given relevant information before agreeing to a placement. This may include the child’s history, routines, health, education, behaviour, relationships, known risks, contact arrangements and the reason they need foster care. You can ask questions about anything that may affect your ability to provide safe and consistent care.

If you believe a proposed placement is not suitable, explain your concerns clearly before accepting it. Saying no to a particular referral does not automatically mean you are unsuitable to foster. It may simply indicate that the child’s needs, your approval or your household circumstances are not a good match on that occasion. A decision should be based on the information available and the practical support required, rather than on assumptions about a child.

It is important to be realistic about your limits. For example, you may need to consider whether you can manage frequent appointments, supervised family time, school transport, additional health tasks, challenging behaviour or the needs of siblings placed together. Your supervising social worker and the child’s social worker can discuss these issues with you as part of the matching decision.

Once you have accepted a placement, the situation is different from considering an initial referral. You are responsible for caring for the child in line with the agreed placement plan, while the fostering agency and local authority continue to review whether the arrangement is meeting the child’s needs. If serious difficulties arise, contact your supervising social worker or the relevant professional rather than attempting to end the placement independently.

Preferences can also change as your experience or household circumstances develop. Changes to work, health, family life, accommodation or the needs you feel able to manage should be discussed with your fostering team. Your approval and matching considerations may then need to be reviewed.

The most useful approach is to be open during assessment and after approval. Clear information about what you can and cannot manage makes it easier to identify appropriate placements and reduces the risk of an arrangement being unsuitable for either the child or your household.