Is previous fostering experience required for foster care approval?

Previous fostering experience is not a requirement for approval. Fostering applicants may come from many backgrounds, and the assessment focuses on whether they can meet the needs of a child or young person, work safely with professionals and provide consistent care.

Experience of caring for children can be useful, but it does not have to come from a formal fostering role. Relevant experience might include parenting, supporting relatives, working in education or childcare, youth work, health and social care, mentoring, volunteering or helping children in a community setting. Everyday experience can also provide useful evidence of patience, reliability, communication and the ability to respond to changing needs.

Having no direct experience does not mean an applicant has nothing to offer. During the assessment, the fostering team will explore how an applicant has handled responsibility, managed pressure, built relationships and responded when someone needed additional help. Applicants are also expected to consider how fostering could affect their household, relationships, routines and existing commitments.

Applicants without fostering experience normally complete preparation training before approval. This helps them understand the practical and emotional demands of fostering, including:

• how previous trauma, loss and separation can affect a child’s behaviour and development;
• safeguarding responsibilities and safe care within the home;
• supporting identity, culture, religion and contact with a child’s family;
• working with social workers, schools, health professionals and birth family members;
• keeping accurate records and sharing information appropriately;
• responding to challenging behaviour while maintaining clear boundaries; and
• the procedures that apply if concerns, complaints or allegations arise.

Training is only one part of the process. Applicants need to show that they can reflect on what they learn and apply it to realistic fostering situations. The assessment may involve discussion of case examples, household circumstances, support networks and the types of placements that could be suitable. The aim is not to test whether someone already knows everything about fostering, but to establish whether they have the capacity to learn and develop as a carer.

Previous experience can still be relevant where an applicant has fostered before, worked with children or received professional training. Any previous fostering application or fostering role should be disclosed fully. A previous application that did not proceed, or a previous fostering arrangement that ended, is not automatically a reason for refusal. The assessing team will consider the circumstances, what has changed and what can be learned from the experience.

Approval depends on the complete assessment rather than on a particular job title or length of experience. Applicants should be open about what they know, what they have found difficult and where they need further development. The fostering team can then identify appropriate preparation and consider whether the applicant’s skills and circumstances are suited to fostering.