What documents do I need to apply for foster care?

The documents requested during a foster care application help the fostering service verify who you are, understand your household and assess whether fostering can be considered safely. You will normally be told which documents are needed at each stage rather than being expected to provide everything at once.

Identity and right to live in the UK

• Passport, driving licence or another accepted photographic identity document
• Birth certificate, where required
• Evidence of your right to live and work in the UK, if applicable
• Marriage, civil partnership or change-of-name certificates where your current name differs from your identity documents

You may be asked to provide original documents for checking, certified copies or clear copies, depending on the fostering service’s procedure. Do not send original documents by post unless you have been specifically instructed to do so.

Proof of address and household details

• Recent utility bills, council tax correspondence, bank statements or another accepted document showing your address
• Your current tenancy agreement, mortgage statement or other evidence of your housing arrangements
• Details of everyone who lives in your household, including adults, children and regular household members
• Information about any pets, lodgers or other people who spend significant time in the home, where relevant to the household assessment

The assessment considers whether your home and wider household can provide a suitable environment for a child. This does not necessarily mean that you must own your home, but the fostering service will need to understand your housing arrangements and whether there is suitable space and privacy.

Employment and financial information

You may need to provide employer details, recent payslips, evidence of self-employed income or other information about your financial circumstances. The purpose is to establish that the household can manage financially and that fostering is being considered for the right reasons. You should also explain any significant debts, benefits, maintenance commitments or changes in income if they affect your circumstances.

Fostering allowances are intended to help meet the costs of caring for a child, but they should not be treated as a substitute for providing accurate information about your existing finances. The fostering team can explain how financial information is considered and what supporting evidence is relevant to your situation.

Health information

Applicants are usually asked to complete a health declaration and give consent for a medical assessment or report from their GP. You may need to provide details of current conditions, medication, treatment and relevant past medical history. This is not a request for an applicant to have perfect health: the assessment considers whether your health could affect your ability to care for a child safely and consistently.

Health information is sensitive and should be supplied through the secure process explained by the fostering team. Be accurate and do not leave out a condition simply because it is well managed.

Criminal record and safeguarding checks

You will need to give information for the required criminal record checks, including details such as previous names, dates of birth and addresses. The fostering service may also need information about other adults in the household or people who will have regular contact with a fostered child. Depending on the circumstances, checks may involve local authority records and other safeguarding enquiries as well as criminal record information.

A previous conviction does not automatically mean that someone cannot foster. The fostering service will consider the nature of the matter, when it happened, the outcome and its relevance to caring for children. Full and honest disclosure is important because undisclosed information can affect the assessment more than the original issue.

References and personal history

You will normally be asked for contact details for referees who know you well. Referees may include employers, former employers, relatives or other people who can comment meaningfully on your character and ability to care for children. The fostering service will explain who is suitable; close relatives are not always accepted as the only source of references.

You may also need to provide a written account of your personal history, relationships, family life, employment and experience of caring for children. This gives the assessing social worker a basis for discussing your strengths, support network, significant life events and any experiences that may affect fostering.

Information about children in your care

If you have children living with you, or children who visit regularly, the assessment may require information about their needs, routines and views on fostering. You may be asked for consent to discuss relevant arrangements with schools, health professionals or other people involved in their care. The information required will depend on the child’s age, circumstances and the proposed fostering arrangements.

How to prepare your documents

• Make a checklist from the instructions provided by your fostering team.
• Check that names, dates and addresses are consistent across documents, and explain any differences.
• Gather documents early, particularly those involving previous addresses, former employers or overseas records.
• Keep copies of anything you submit and note which documents were originals.
• Ask how documents should be uploaded, emailed or handed over before sending personal information.
• Tell the fostering team if a document is unavailable, has been lost or will take time to obtain.

Requirements can differ according to your circumstances, including whether you have lived abroad, changed your name, run a business, rent your home or have other adults in the household. Become a Foster Family’s fostering team can confirm the current document checklist, explain why each item is needed and tell you what to do if you cannot provide a particular document immediately.