What happens when I contact a foster care helpline?

Contacting a foster care helpline is usually an initial fact-finding conversation, not the formal fostering assessment. You can explain your circumstances, understand whether fostering may fit your household and decide whether you want a further conversation with the fostering team.

1. You make an initial enquiry. You may contact the helpline by the route provided on the organisation’s website. You do not need to have made a final decision or prepared a complete application before getting in touch. It is useful to have your preferred contact details available and to say whether you are enquiring for yourself, as a couple or on behalf of your family.

2. The adviser gathers relevant background information. To make the discussion useful, they may ask about your household, living arrangements, employment, family circumstances, previous experience with children and the type of fostering you are considering. They may also ask about practical matters such as who lives in the home, whether there is suitable bedroom space, pets, smoking and the support available from relatives or friends.

These questions are not the same as a full assessment. They help identify which areas need more detailed discussion and whether there are matters that should be considered before you take the next step. You should answer honestly, including where something is uncertain or may need further checking.

3. You can raise personal or practical concerns. A helpline conversation can be used to ask about issues that may affect your decision, such as caring for children already in the household, working while fostering, taking holidays, previous convictions, health conditions, renting your home or having limited experience of childcare. Some matters cannot be decided during an introductory call, but the adviser can explain whether they require further consideration and who will discuss them with you.

4. You receive information suited to your circumstances. Rather than relying only on general information, you can ask the adviser to explain how the process may relate to your household. Useful questions include:

• What documents or information would be needed if I decide to proceed?
• What happens between an initial enquiry and a formal application?
• Who will be involved in assessing and preparing me?
• How are existing children, other household members and pets considered?
• What support is available during training and after approval?
• How are fostering payments and household costs explained?
• What happens if I decide not to continue after making an enquiry?

5. You agree what happens next. Depending on your circumstances, the next step may be to receive further information, arrange another discussion, attend an information session or begin the application process. You should be clear about whether you are simply researching fostering or want to move towards applying. There is no need to treat an initial conversation as a commitment to foster.

If you are not ready to continue, you can use the information from the call to discuss fostering with other members of your household. If you do proceed, keep a note of the advice given and any questions that need answering later. Different points may be revisited during preparation, training and assessment because the decision to foster must take account of the whole household, not just the person who first made contact.

A helpline cannot replace the detailed checks, conversations and preparation involved in becoming approved. Its role is to give you a clear starting point, identify the information you need and help you judge whether taking the next step is appropriate for your household.