What training is required for kinship foster care licensing?

Kinship foster carers must complete preparation training and demonstrate that they can provide safe, consistent and appropriate care before they are approved. The training is normally arranged by the fostering service assessing the application and is adapted to the child’s needs, the proposed placement and the carer’s existing experience.

Preparation before approval

Before approval, prospective kinship foster carers are usually expected to attend a preparation course, often based on the same core programme used for other foster carers but tailored to family and connected-person placements. It helps applicants understand what fostering involves in practice and gives the fostering service an opportunity to consider how they respond to the responsibilities involved.

Training commonly explores:

• the legal framework for foster care and the responsibilities of an approved carer;
• how safeguarding concerns are identified, reported and recorded;
• safe care, household boundaries, supervision and risk management;
• the effects of loss, separation, abuse, neglect and disrupted relationships;
• how children’s behaviour may communicate distress or unmet needs;
• supporting identity, family relationships, culture, religion and contact arrangements;
• confidentiality, information sharing and professional communication; and
• the practical impact of fostering on household routines and relationships.

The course may include discussions, case studies, activities and questions rather than relying only on written work. Applicants should be prepared to reflect on their own family circumstances, expectations and responses to difficult situations. Participation is part of the assessment process, so it is important to ask for clarification where a subject is unfamiliar or particularly sensitive.

Training linked to kinship placements

Kinship fostering can involve complex relationships because the carer may already be related to, or otherwise connected with, the child and the child’s birth parents. Training therefore needs to address the difference between being a relative or family friend and acting as an approved foster carer. This includes maintaining appropriate boundaries, managing disagreements, following agreed contact arrangements and putting the child’s welfare first when family views differ.

The fostering service may also provide or arrange additional preparation where the child has particular needs. This could cover health conditions, disabilities, communication needs, developmental delay, emotional regulation, harmful sexual behaviour, substance misuse within the family, or the impact of trauma. The exact content should relate to the information gathered during the assessment and the child’s care plan.

How training is assessed

Completing a course does not, by itself, result in a fostering licence or approval. The assessing social worker considers training participation alongside interviews, checks, references, the home assessment and the wider evidence about the applicant’s ability to care for the child. Applicants may be asked to explain how they would apply learning to realistic situations, such as a child refusing rules, making allegations, becoming distressed after contact or sharing a safeguarding concern.

Where further learning is identified, the fostering service may recommend additional sessions before approval, set specific preparation tasks or make training part of the support plan. This is not necessarily a sign that an application is failing; it can be a way of ensuring that the proposed arrangement is properly prepared and that any risks are understood.

Training after approval

Approval is followed by continuing professional development. Kinship foster carers are expected to keep their knowledge and practical skills up to date, complete training identified by their fostering service and take part in reviews of their role. Further learning may be required when the child’s circumstances change, a new child is placed, an incident occurs or new safeguarding guidance affects practice.

Post-approval training may be delivered through courses, online learning, supervision, discussion with social workers or learning from a specific event. Carers should keep evidence of completed training and discuss any gaps with their supervising social worker. The fostering service will explain which subjects are mandatory, how completion is recorded and what happens if required learning is not completed.

Training and the fostering assessment

The training requirement is only one part of the approval process. A kinship foster carer must also show that they can work with social workers, attend meetings, keep suitable records, respect confidentiality and follow policies designed to safeguard children. The assessment will consider whether the household has the capacity to manage these duties alongside existing family commitments.

It is sensible to ask the fostering service for a written outline of the preparation programme, including any attendance expectations, post-approval requirements and learning that may be specific to the child. If a disability, caring responsibility, language need or other circumstance could affect participation, discuss reasonable adjustments with the assessing team at an early stage. Training should prepare the carer for the actual placement rather than operate as a standalone qualification.