How long does foster carer training take?

Foster carer training is usually completed in stages: preparation before approval, learning during the assessment process and continued development once you begin fostering. The time involved depends on the training programme you are given, how sessions are arranged and whether you need additional support to complete the learning.

Before approval, training commonly includes:

• the role and responsibilities of a foster carer;
• how fostering affects children, young people and the wider household;
• safeguarding, safer caring and managing risk;
• child development, trauma and the effects of abuse or neglect;
• supporting children’s health, education and emotional wellbeing;
• working with birth families, social workers and other professionals; and
• record keeping, confidentiality and maintaining appropriate boundaries.

This preparation may be delivered as a series of sessions, a structured course or a combination of learning methods. Some fostering services use face-to-face sessions, while others include online learning or independent study. The course timetable will determine how many sessions you attend and how closely together they take place.

Training is only one part of the pre-approval process. You will normally also need to provide information, take part in assessment interviews, complete required checks and references, and contribute to the assessment of your suitability to foster. These activities can take place alongside training, so the time spent attending a course is not the same as the total time from initial enquiry to approval.

Your circumstances can affect how the training is arranged. For example, the fostering service may consider your previous experience, existing qualifications, caring responsibilities, work commitments, access to technology and any learning needs. Previous knowledge may help you understand some subjects, but you will still need to complete the learning identified as necessary for your role. If a topic needs further explanation or you miss a session, the service should discuss how you can catch up.

Where more than one adult is applying or living in the fostering household, the fostering service will explain who needs to attend each part of the preparation. This helps everyone understand the expectations of fostering and how it may affect family life. The exact arrangements can differ depending on the type of fostering being considered and the service’s requirements.

Training does not stop when you are approved. Foster carers continue to develop their knowledge through induction, supervision, mandatory subjects and learning linked to the needs of the children in their care. You may be asked to complete additional training before, during or after a placement, particularly where a child’s health, behaviour, communication or history requires specialist understanding.

The most useful way to find out your likely training schedule is to ask the fostering service for its current course structure. Confirm which sessions are required, whether any learning can be completed remotely, what happens if you cannot attend, how learning is recorded and which subjects must be completed after approval. This gives you a clearer picture of the commitment without treating the course timetable as a guaranteed overall approval date.