These free online foster training sessions explain the skills and responsibilities involved in fostering, including trauma-informed care, safeguarding and understanding children’s needs. They help you assess whether fostering is right for your household and prepare for the next steps.
Partnering with an
Ofsted Outstanding Provider
Free online foster training is introductory learning for people exploring whether they could become foster carers. It gives you a clearer view of the role, the decisions involved and the practical demands of providing consistent care in a family home.
Online sessions can be useful at the research stage because you can work through the material at your own pace and note questions to discuss with a fostering adviser. Topics may also help you think about how fostering could fit alongside your household, relationships, work and existing responsibilities.
Completing free training does not approve you to foster or replace the formal assessment and preparation required for applicants. If you decide to take the next step, your local team can explain the application process, further training requirements and the support available throughout your fostering journey.
Use the specification below to assess free online foster training properly, including its learning focus, delivery format, suitability for different stages of enquiry, and how it relates to the preparation and support provided during the fostering application process.
These sessions provide an initial introduction to fostering rather than a complete training programme. They help you understand the nature of the role before deciding whether to enquire or apply.
The content covers trauma-informed care, safeguarding and the different needs children and young people may have. It introduces the knowledge and responsibilities involved in providing safe, consistent care.
The training is delivered online, making it suitable for reviewing independently during the research stage. You can work through the material at your own pace and record points you want to explore further.
Free online foster training can help individuals, couples and families who are considering fostering. It is useful whether you are at the earliest stage of finding out about fostering or beginning to consider an application.
As you work through the sessions, consider how fostering could fit with your household, relationships, employment and existing responsibilities. Discuss any areas that need more explanation with a fostering adviser.
Completing the sessions does not approve you to foster and does not replace formal assessment or the preparation required for applicants. Further training and checks form part of the application process.
If the training confirms that you want to explore fostering further, a local fostering team can explain the next stages, including the application process, additional preparation and the ongoing support available to foster carers.
Check whether sessions are genuinely relevant to fostering, accessible without specialist experience, and clearly linked to later preparation, rather than treating generic parenting advice as sufficient evidence of readiness alone.
Free online training may support learning, but whether it counts towards required preparation depends on the fostering service and course content. Ask for confirmation beforehand and retain evidence of completion.
These sessions suit adults, couples and families at the information-gathering stage, including household members who want shared understanding before an enquiry. They are not limited to experienced parents or carers.
Delivery may combine online sessions with self-paced material, allowing you to study remotely and record questions for a fostering adviser. Check whether access includes discussion, resources or follow-up guidance afterwards.
Yes. It should outline ongoing learning expectations after approval, including refresher subjects, recording completed hours, identifying development needs, and how your supervising team reviews training alongside practice and regular supervision.
Training can be considered alongside your living arrangements, other children or pets, previous caring experience and the stage of your enquiry. These factors help you identify which questions to raise when discussing your potential suitability with a fostering adviser.
Use the training to consider how fostering could work in your home, including sleeping arrangements, shared spaces, privacy and the practical changes a child may need.
If you live with a partner or have children, discuss the responsibilities covered in the training together. Their views, routines and understanding of fostering can form part of your questions for an adviser.
The material can help you examine how fostering may sit alongside employment, caring responsibilities, travel and regular commitments. Note any areas where you need clearer guidance before applying.
Existing pets and household routines are relevant when thinking about safe care. Training can help you identify questions about supervision, boundaries and how a child may adjust to your home.
Whether you are only researching or considering an application, use the training to separate general information from questions about your circumstances. An adviser can explain what further preparation and assessment involve.
Free online foster training becomes more useful when it reflects the realities of fostering locally. Clear explanations can show how procedures, professional roles and support arrangements connect, helping you interpret information accurately rather than relying on generic advice.
Our local teams draw on practical experience to explain how guidance is applied during the fostering journey. They can clarify which questions are best discussed individually, explain the purpose of different stages, and help you identify reliable information when sources appear unclear.
That transparent approach lets you test your understanding without treating introductory learning as a decision to apply. Note the points you want to explore, then discuss them with a fostering adviser who can relate general guidance to your circumstances.
Online learning can bring together prospective carers with different backgrounds, helping them compare perspectives on cultural diversity, trauma-informed care, safeguarding and the practical questions they may raise during assessment.
Ask whether these sessions are introductory or count towards required training, which additional modules are needed, how learning is recorded, and when formal preparation begins during assessment and application stages.
Ask the fostering team to explain unfamiliar terms in plain language, provide examples, and clarify how each topic relates to day-to-day care, assessment expectations, and your circumstances during your discussions.
Check who created it, whether its content is reviewed, and whether it references current fostering guidance. Ask the team to confirm provider’s role and whether the session is appropriate locally.
Ask whether recordings, slides or written materials remain available after a session, how long access lasts, and whether revisiting supports understanding without replacing required training during assessment and preparation stages.
Session lengths vary, so ask whether each module has a stated duration, can be completed in stages, and includes breaks or activities requiring additional time for planning purposes at home.
Have questions after completing free online foster training? Speak with your local fostering team to explore how the information relates to your circumstances, clarify any remaining points and understand the next steps, without committing to an application.