What checks are involved in becoming a foster parent?

The checks involved in becoming a foster parent form part of a wider fostering assessment. Their purpose is to verify your identity and circumstances, identify any safeguarding concerns, and establish whether you can provide stable, safe and consistent care for a child. The assessment looks at the whole household, not only the person making the application.

Identity, residence and household checks

You will usually need to provide documents confirming your identity, current address and right to live in the UK where relevant. The assessing service may also ask about previous addresses and periods spent living elsewhere. This helps it verify your information and carry out checks with the appropriate organisations.

Adults who live in your household will normally need to be included in the assessment, with their consent for relevant checks. Other people who have a significant role in the household or may have regular contact with a fostered child could also need to be considered. Children in the household are not assessed in the same way as adults, but their views, needs and understanding of fostering are important.

Safeguarding and local authority information

As part of the assessment, the fostering service may request information from local authorities connected with you or members of your household. This can include relevant children’s services records and information about previous involvement with safeguarding services. These enquiries are intended to provide a complete picture and are considered alongside the information you provide.

It is important to be open about previous social care involvement, family circumstances or significant events. A concern does not necessarily mean that an application will be refused. The assessing team will consider its relevance, how long ago it occurred, what has changed and what it may mean for a child placed in your care.

Criminal record information

The Disclosure and Barring Service check is considered as part of the safeguarding assessment. The service will look at the nature of any offence, when it occurred, whether there is a pattern of behaviour and how relevant it is to fostering. Some offences are subject to legal restrictions, but a previous conviction is not automatically treated as a refusal in every situation.

Disclosing information yourself is essential. Trying to conceal a conviction, caution or other relevant matter can create greater concern than the original information. If you have lived overseas, the fostering service may also ask for suitable overseas criminal record information where it is available and relevant.

References and employment information

References help the assessing service understand your character, relationships, reliability and ability to care for children. Referees are normally contacted directly rather than relying only on a statement supplied by the applicant. The service may seek information from people who know you well and, where relevant, from an employer or previous employer.

References are considered with the rest of the assessment. A referee does not need to describe you as perfect; useful information is honest, specific and based on knowing you over time. You should tell potential referees what fostering involves so they can give an informed account of your suitability.

Health information

Your health is considered in relation to the practical demands of fostering and the needs of children who may be placed with you. You may be asked to complete a health questionnaire and consent to information from your GP or another health professional. The assessment may consider physical health, mental health, medication, mobility, sleep and any condition that could affect your ability to provide care.

A health condition does not automatically prevent someone from fostering. The relevant question is whether you can safely meet a child’s needs, with appropriate treatment, adjustments or support where necessary. You should explain any ongoing condition accurately so that the fostering service can assess it properly.

Home, relationships and finances

The assessment also considers whether your home is suitable and whether the household can offer a stable environment. This may involve discussing sleeping arrangements, safety, pets, visitors, transport and how a child would fit into everyday family life. The service will also explore your relationships, support network and how household members feel about fostering.

Your finances may be discussed to establish whether the household can manage its ordinary commitments and the additional practical costs of caring for a child. This is different from assessing whether you are wealthy. The fostering service will explain what financial information it needs and how fostering allowances relate to the costs of caring for a child.

What happens after the checks?

The information gathered is combined with interviews, home visits and preparation training to produce an assessment report. You should have opportunities to check factual information and explain anything that may be unclear. The report is then considered through the fostering service’s approval process, which normally includes fostering panel consideration and a decision by the agency decision-maker.

Checks can take different amounts of time when information is incomplete, a referee is difficult to contact or records need clarification. You can help by supplying documents promptly, giving accurate address and employment history, responding fully to questions and informing the assessing team about significant changes during the application.

Before consenting to checks, ask the fostering service which members of your household will be included, what documents are required and how any sensitive information will be handled. The purpose is not to find a flawless family; it is to make a careful, evidence-based decision about safety, stability and the support a child would receive in your home.