Can I choose the type of fostering placement I accept?

Your approved fostering role will define the placements you are considered for, but it does not give you unrestricted choice over every referral. During assessment, you will discuss the kinds of placements that fit your household, experience, availability and practical circumstances. These discussions help establish clear boundaries before a child is placed with you.

Preferences and approval terms are not the same thing. You can express preferences about factors such as the age range, placement length, level of support required and whether you are considering emergency, short-term, long-term or respite fostering. Your fostering assessment will then consider whether those preferences are realistic and whether you have the skills, space and support network to meet the likely needs involved. The outcome is reflected in your approval, including any agreed limitations.

Some preferences may be flexible, while others may be essential for safeguarding or household stability. For example, you may need to explain that you cannot accept a placement involving particular behaviours, intensive care requirements, contact arrangements or risks to other household members. It is important to be open about these matters rather than agreeing to a placement that you cannot safely manage.

When a child needs a foster home, the placing authority or fostering service shares information about the child and the proposed arrangement. This may include:

• the child’s age, background and assessed needs;
• the expected length and purpose of the placement;
• known risks, behaviours or health considerations;
• education, family contact and transport arrangements;
• any impact on other children or adults in your household; and
• the practical support likely to be available.

You should have an opportunity to consider this information and ask questions before agreeing. The matching discussion is not simply about whether you have a spare bedroom. It should consider whether the placement is appropriate for the child and manageable for everyone in your home. You can ask for time to discuss the referral with your supervising social worker and other adults in the household before making a decision.

There may be occasions when a referral falls within your approval but is still unsuitable in practice. Your circumstances may have changed, another child may already be living with you, or the information provided may indicate needs beyond what you can safely provide. In those situations, explain your reasons clearly. A considered decision is preferable to accepting a placement and later finding that it cannot be sustained.

Equally, keeping your preferences under review can widen the opportunities available to you. Some foster carers begin with a narrower approval while they develop their confidence and experience. After further training, support and discussion with their supervising social worker, they may ask for their approval or placement preferences to be reviewed. Any change should be based on a proper assessment of skills, household circumstances and the needs that may arise.

Training can help you make informed choices, particularly where placements may involve trauma, attachment difficulties, challenging behaviour, disability, health needs or complex family relationships. Training does not mean you are expected to accept every type of placement. It helps you understand what a particular placement could involve and identify when specialist advice, additional resources or a different arrangement would be necessary.

Your household must be included in these decisions. A placement can affect partners, birth children, other foster children, pets, work arrangements and existing commitments. Consider practical questions such as:

• Can the household manage the proposed routines and appointments?
• How would contact with the child’s family be supported?
• Would other children feel safe and able to maintain their own routines?
• Is there enough emotional and practical capacity for the expected duration?
• What help would be needed from social workers, education, health professionals or family members?

Once a placement is accepted, the agreed information and support should be recorded in the placement plan. This sets out important arrangements, responsibilities, contact details, education and health information, and the plan for reviewing how the placement is progressing. If the child’s needs change, or the original information proves incomplete, raise this promptly with your supervising social worker. Your ability to accept future placements may also need to be reconsidered while a child is living with you.

Before applying, it is useful to distinguish between what you would ideally prefer and what you could realistically provide. Honest conversations during assessment do not reduce your value as a prospective foster carer; they help ensure that any placement considered is safe, properly supported and compatible with your household.