What checks are involved before I can become a foster family?
Before you can become a foster family, you will usually complete identity and DBS checks, health assessments, personal and employment references, and a home safety assessment. The fostering assessment also considers your experience, household circumstances and ability to provide children with a safe, stable and nurturing home.
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The checks form part of a structured two-stage fostering assessment. They are used to establish whether fostering is suitable for your household, identify any support you may need and confirm that you can meet the needs of children in care. The process looks at the whole picture rather than relying on one document or result.
Stage 1: initial suitability checks
Stage 1 considers basic suitability and whether there is anything that would prevent the assessment from progressing. You will be asked for information such as your identity, relationship status, household members, employment history and previous addresses. Adults in your household may also need to provide information and complete relevant checks, because their behaviour and circumstances could affect a child placed in the home.
The organisation will discuss your reasons for fostering, your understanding of children who have experienced loss or disruption, and the practical changes fostering could bring to family life. This is an opportunity to identify questions early, including how fostering may fit alongside work, caring responsibilities, relationships and existing children in the household.
Stage 2: the full fostering assessment
If the initial stage is satisfactory, a social worker usually completes a more detailed assessment. This involves several discussions about your childhood, relationships, significant life events, parenting or caring experience, and how you respond to stress or uncertainty. The purpose is not to expect a perfect personal history. It is to understand your strengths, any vulnerabilities and how you have dealt with difficulties.
The assessment also considers your approach to boundaries, safeguarding, behaviour, identity and contact with a child’s birth family. You will need to show that you can work openly with social workers, schools, health professionals and other people involved in the child’s care. Foster carers are expected to keep clear records, attend meetings and follow agreed plans, so the assessment explores your willingness and ability to do this.
Information that may need further clarification
A check does not always produce an automatic refusal. A criminal record, previous involvement with children’s services, a period of poor health, a relationship breakdown or gaps in employment may need to be discussed in context. The relevant factors can include what happened, how long ago it was, whether there is a continuing risk and what has changed since then. You should be open and accurate when completing forms; withholding information can create greater concern than the issue itself.
Health information is considered in relation to the demands of fostering and the likely needs of children. A medical professional may be asked to provide an assessment, but sensitive health details should be handled appropriately and shared only where relevant to the fostering decision. You can ask how information will be used if you are unsure.
Other practical matters may also be explored, such as household finances, pets, transport, smoking, emergency arrangements and the suitability of sleeping space. Renting a home does not necessarily prevent someone from fostering, but permission from a landlord may be needed and the accommodation must meet the child’s needs. The assessment is concerned with safety, stability and practicality rather than appearances.
What happens after the assessment?
When the assessment is complete, the social worker prepares a report explaining the evidence gathered and making a recommendation about approval. You should have the opportunity to read the report, identify factual errors and comment on its contents before it is considered by a fostering panel. The panel reviews the information and makes a recommendation; the agency decision-maker then makes the formal decision.
Approval is not the end of the checks. Foster carers must continue to meet safeguarding, training and review requirements, and some checks are renewed or revisited when circumstances change. You should tell the fostering service about relevant changes in your household, health, relationships, address or legal circumstances so that advice can be given promptly.
Before applying, gather details of previous addresses, employment and household members, and think about people who can provide a balanced account of your experience. Ask the assessing team which documents are required and raise concerns early. Clear, honest information helps the assessment focus on suitability and on the support needed to foster safely.
Reference checks help the assessing social worker understand how you manage responsibilities and relationships outside the assessment meetings. Referees may be asked about your reliability, communication, response to pressure and ability to accept guidance, as well as how you interact with children or vulnerable people where relevant.
A balanced reference is more useful than a purely favourable one. The assessor may explore any differences between what you have said and what a referee reports, giving you an opportunity to provide context. Tell the assessing team if a potential referee has limited knowledge of your current circumstances, so they can advise whether another person would provide more relevant evidence.
Have questions about the checks involved in becoming a foster family?
If you have questions about becoming a foster family, speak to our fostering team for guidance on your circumstances and the next step in your enquiry.