What decisions can foster carers make for a child in their care?

The decisions a foster carer can make depend on the child’s care plan, placement plan, age and understanding, and the authority delegated by the local authority or anyone with parental responsibility. Foster carers are expected to provide ordinary day-to-day parenting, but they do not automatically have the same decision-making powers as a child’s parent.

Delegated authority should be clear from the start. The child’s placement plan should explain which decisions the foster carer can make independently, which require consultation, and which must be referred to the social worker or another person with parental responsibility. The level of authority may be different for each child, even when two children live in the same foster home.

Everyday parenting decisions usually include managing routines, setting reasonable household boundaries, agreeing age-appropriate activities and deciding how the child is cared for from day to day. This can include choosing suitable food, clothing and personal-care arrangements in line with the child’s needs, preferences, culture and any professional advice.

Foster carers can generally also make practical decisions about ordinary outings, hobbies, clubs, visits to friends and participation in routine school activities where these are consistent with the placement plan. The carer should consider ordinary safety issues in the same way a parent would, while following any restrictions arising from risk assessments or the child’s history.

Education decisions often involve shared responsibility. A foster carer may be able to communicate with the school, attend meetings, support homework and agree routine school matters. Decisions such as changing schools, altering an education plan or agreeing significant exclusions will normally need to be considered by the child’s social worker, local authority and other relevant professionals. The child’s views and educational needs should be taken into account.

Healthcare decisions depend on the type of treatment and the authority recorded in the placement plan. Foster carers may be able to arrange or consent to routine appointments and ordinary treatment, but they should check before consenting to significant procedures, operations, treatment carrying substantial risks or matters where the child’s legal status creates additional requirements. A carer should share relevant health information with the social worker and keep appropriate records of appointments, advice and treatment.

Contact with family members must follow the arrangements agreed by the local authority and set out in the child’s care or placement plan. Foster carers may support ordinary communication where this has been authorised, but should not independently change contact arrangements, cancel visits, agree new contacts or pass on confidential information without checking with the social worker. Any concern about a contact visit should be reported promptly rather than dealt with through an informal change to the plan.

Personal, cultural and religious matters should be handled with respect for the child’s identity and existing relationships. Foster carers can support ordinary religious, cultural and community activities where these are agreed and appropriate. A decision that would substantially affect the child’s religious upbringing, cultural identity or established practices may require consultation with the local authority, parents or another person with parental responsibility.

Photos, social media and information sharing need particular care. Foster carers should follow the child’s permissions and the agency’s policy before taking, storing or sharing images. A child should not be identified publicly as being in foster care, and information about their history, location, school or family must be kept confidential. The fact that a child agrees to a photograph does not necessarily mean it can be posted online.

Travel and overnight arrangements may be covered by delegated authority for ordinary local activities, but a carer should check the placement plan before arranging travel away from the area, an overnight stay with another family, camping, residential activities or travel outside the UK. International travel may involve passports, consent, court orders and additional safeguarding checks, so it should be discussed well in advance with the supervising social worker and placing authority.

Financial and legal matters are not normally decisions for a foster carer to make alone. The local authority or person with parental responsibility may need to deal with benefits, compensation, legal proceedings, formal identity documents, bank arrangements or significant purchases. Foster carers can manage agreed everyday spending for the child, keep receipts where required and ask for guidance about larger or unusual expenses.

The child’s age, maturity and ability to understand the consequences of a decision are important. Children should be given information in a way they can understand and should have their wishes and feelings taken seriously. Their views do not always determine the outcome, particularly where safety or legal duties are involved, but they should form part of the decision-making process.

There are also decisions a foster carer must not make simply because the child lives with them. These can include changing legal arrangements, consenting to major medical treatment without the required authority, altering contact ordered by a court, making promises about the child’s future or sharing confidential information. A court order, the child’s care plan or a specific parental-responsibility arrangement can override what might otherwise be ordinary delegated authority.

If an urgent decision is needed, the foster carer should act reasonably to protect the child from immediate harm, obtain emergency medical help where necessary and inform the relevant professionals as soon as possible. For non-urgent uncertainty, the safest approach is to check the placement plan and contact the child’s social worker or supervising social worker before agreeing to anything significant. Recording what was decided, who was consulted and why can help everyone maintain a consistent approach.

Before a placement begins, prospective foster carers should ask how delegated authority works in that particular situation. Clear explanations about education, health, contact, travel, online safety, cultural needs and permissions help carers make appropriate everyday decisions while ensuring more significant matters remain with the people legally responsible for them.