What training is provided before I become a foster parent?

Before approval, you will usually complete structured preparation training alongside your fostering assessment. The training is designed to help you understand the role, consider how fostering may affect your household and identify the skills you may need to develop. It also gives you the opportunity to ask practical questions before deciding whether to proceed.

Initial preparation training

Most fostering services provide a pre-approval course, sometimes known as preparation training or a Skills to Foster course. This is normally delivered through a combination of group learning, discussion, activities and realistic examples. The exact content and format vary between fostering services, but the course should give you a clear understanding of what fostering involves in day-to-day life.

You may be asked to reflect on your own experiences, communication style, relationships and responses to challenging situations. This is not intended to test whether you are a perfect parent or carer. It helps you and the assessing social worker identify your existing strengths, areas for development and any support that may be useful.

Understanding the assessment process

Preparation training forms part of a wider assessment rather than being a separate pass-or-fail examination. The assessment will normally consider your motivation, health, household circumstances, relationships, home environment, identity, experience of caring and ability to work with other people. Training helps you understand why these areas matter and how they relate to the safety and stability of a placement.

You should expect to contribute openly during the sessions. Trainers may use case studies or hypothetical situations to explore how you would respond. You may also be encouraged to discuss your expectations about contact arrangements, changes to family routines, confidentiality, boundaries and the responsibilities shared by everyone in the household.

Practical preparation for the role

Before approval, training can help you prepare for the everyday organisation involved in fostering. This may include maintaining appropriate records, sharing information with the professionals involved in a child’s care, attending meetings, following agreed plans and communicating clearly with schools, health services and social workers.

It may also cover how to establish household routines, make space for a child, protect privacy and maintain appropriate boundaries. If you have children or other people living at home, their views and understanding of fostering are important, so the preparation process may include conversations about how fostering could affect them.

Learning through discussion and reflection

Fostering decisions are rarely covered by a simple set of rules. Training therefore often uses scenarios to help you think through different options and understand when to seek advice. For example, you may discuss how to respond when a child’s needs conflict with normal family routines, how to share concerns appropriately or how to manage information that should not be discussed outside the professional network.

These discussions are also an opportunity to consider whether your expectations are realistic. You should leave with a clearer understanding of the commitment involved, the importance of consistency and the need to work within agreed plans rather than relying only on your own approach.

Further learning before a placement

Pre-approval training is the starting point, not the end of your learning. The assessing team may identify subjects that would benefit from more attention before approval, particularly if you are being considered for a specific type of placement or a child with particular needs. You may be asked to complete additional preparation, reading, appointments or practical checks as part of the assessment.

Training needs can also be considered for other members of your household. Anyone who will have regular contact with a fostered child should understand the agreed boundaries and their part in maintaining a safe, respectful home.

What you should do before training begins

• Make a note of questions about routines, holidays, contact, privacy and the effect on other household members.
• Think honestly about your strengths and the areas where you would welcome guidance.
• Discuss the decision with everyone who may be affected by fostering.
• Keep an open mind when exploring situations that may differ from your previous parenting or caring experience.
• Ask how training links with the assessment and what further learning may be expected before approval.

The preparation course should leave you better informed about the responsibilities of fostering and the support and development expected after approval. If you are considering applying, the most useful next step is to speak with a fostering service about its specific pre-approval programme, assessment stages and any training that may be tailored to your circumstances.