Can I become a foster parent to my grandchild?

Being a child’s grandparent does not automatically make you a foster carer. If your grandchild is looked after by the local authority and placed with you, you may be assessed as a kinship, or connected-person, foster carer. The local authority will decide whether fostering is the appropriate legal arrangement and whether you can meet the child’s needs safely and consistently.

It is important to distinguish between different family care arrangements:

• Kinship fostering: your grandchild remains looked after by the local authority and you care for them as an approved foster carer.
• A private family arrangement: your grandchild lives with you by agreement within the family, without being looked after by the local authority. This is not usually fostering.
• Special guardianship or adoption: these provide different legal responsibilities and decision-making rights from fostering. The child’s social worker or a family law adviser can explain which route may be suitable.

If your grandchild is already living with you, do not assume that the arrangement is automatically a fostering placement. Speak to the child’s social worker or the local authority’s children’s services team. They should explain the legal status of the placement, the support available and whether you need to apply to become an approved foster carer.

The assessment will consider more than your family relationship. You will need to show that you can provide stable, safe and appropriate care for your grandchild. This may include consideration of:

• your understanding of your grandchild’s needs, history and current circumstances;
• your ability to manage routines, appointments, education and contact arrangements;
• your health and capacity to provide care over the expected duration of the placement;
• the safety and suitability of your home;
• your household members, wider support network and any other caring responsibilities;
• your financial circumstances and ability to manage the practical costs of caring for a child;
• your previous experience, skills and willingness to complete fostering training; and
• any relevant criminal record, safeguarding or child-protection concerns.

Having an established relationship with your grandchild can help the assessment understand their routines, attachments and individual needs. It does not remove the need for checks or guarantee approval. The assessment must consider whether the proposed arrangement is safe and in the child’s best interests, as well as whether you can work constructively with social workers, the child’s parents and other professionals.

For a connected-person application, the process can differ from applying to foster an unrelated child. The local authority may need to make urgent arrangements first, particularly if your grandchild cannot remain safely at home. A temporary approval or interim arrangement may be considered while further checks and the full assessment are completed. The social worker should explain what applies in your circumstances and what will happen next.

For a full application, you can generally expect the following stages:

• Initial discussion: you speak with the child’s social worker, the local authority or a fostering service about your circumstances and the child’s needs.
• Application and checks: the fostering service gathers information such as identity documents, health information, references and police checks for relevant household members and other adults who may have a significant role in the child’s care.
• Home assessment: your home and sleeping arrangements are considered, together with practical safety matters and the space available to the child.
• Training and preparation: you learn about safeguarding, safer caring, trauma, contact, behaviour, recording information and working with the professional network around the child.
• Assessment and recommendation: a social worker prepares an assessment of your suitability and the type of care you may be able to provide.
• Decision: the relevant fostering decision-maker considers the assessment and decides whether approval should be granted and what terms should apply.

Approval may include terms about the number of children you can care for, their age range, the type of placement and any specific support or conditions needed. Because this is your grandchild, the plan may also cover contact with parents, grandparents and other relatives, who makes day-to-day decisions, how information is shared and how disagreements will be managed.

Approved kinship foster carers normally receive fostering support, including an allowance intended to contribute towards the costs of caring for the child. The amount and payment arrangements depend on the responsible local authority or fostering service and the child’s approved placement. Ask for the current allowance policy and for clear information about any additional support, equipment, training, respite or therapeutic services that may be available. Fostering payments and their tax treatment can change, so obtain current advice rather than relying on an old figure.

You should also consider the effect of fostering on everyone in your household. A grandparent’s role may change significantly when they become the child’s main carer, and existing family relationships can become more complicated. Before applying, discuss boundaries, confidentiality, contact and household rules with the people who live with you. The fostering service will need to understand how the arrangement will work in practice.

To begin, tell your grandchild’s social worker that you want to be considered as a kinship foster carer. If you are not yet involved with children’s services, contact the fostering team serving your area and explain that you are asking about caring for a grandchild who may be, or may become, looked after. Become a Foster Family provides information and guidance across the West Midlands, including Birmingham, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Dudley, Sandwell, Herefordshire, Telford, Wolverhampton, Shropshire, Walsall, Warwickshire, Stoke, Solihull, Coventry and Gloucestershire.