Can I pause my fostering application if my circumstances change?

A pause is an agreed temporary break in the fostering assessment process, rather than a withdrawal of your application. It allows the fostering team to record that your assessment is not currently progressing and decide what should happen to your paperwork, training and checks while you deal with the change in your circumstances.

There is no single national time limit for a pause. The appropriate arrangement depends on the reason for the break, the stage you have reached and the policies of the fostering service assessing you. A short pause may involve keeping your application open, while a longer period may mean closing it and starting again later. Your fostering team should explain which option applies to you before any decision is made.

Contact the team as soon as you know that you cannot continue for the time being. You do not need to share more personal information than is necessary, but they will need to understand whether the change affects your suitability, household, availability or ability to complete the required stages. Relevant changes might include:

• a change in employment, working pattern or financial circumstances;
• illness, treatment, recovery or another health matter;
• pregnancy, caring responsibilities or changes within your family;
• moving home, carrying out significant building work or changes to who lives in the household; or
• a period when you cannot attend training, meetings, visits or complete requested documents.

The team can then agree whether to pause particular activities or the whole assessment. They may ask you to complete any immediate actions that are already due, such as providing information or attending a meeting, but this will depend on your situation and the point reached in the process.

Pausing does not usually remove the work that has already been completed. However, some information may need to be checked again when you restart. For example, references, medical information, household details and other suitability checks must reflect your current circumstances. A check may also need renewing if it is no longer considered current under the fostering service’s requirements. If your address, relationship status, employment, health or household membership has changed, the assessment record will need updating before it can progress.

Training already completed may still be relevant, but the fostering service will decide whether any further preparation is needed. This could depend on how much time has passed, whether guidance has changed and whether your circumstances create different training needs. Ask the team to confirm what has been recorded and whether you should retain any certificates or other documents.

When you are ready to restart, contact the same fostering team and explain what has changed since the pause. A restart review may cover:

• your reasons for applying and whether fostering remains suitable for your household;
• your current home, work, family and financial circumstances;
• any changes to the people who need to be included in the assessment;
• outstanding training, meetings, paperwork or home visits; and
• checks or evidence that need updating before the assessment can continue.

The team should also tell you which stage you will return to and whether the original plan remains appropriate. If your circumstances have changed substantially, the assessment may need to revisit earlier areas rather than simply continue from the last completed task. This is part of making sure the information used for a fostering decision is accurate and current.

Keep copies of correspondence and make a note of what has been agreed, including any actions for you and any documents that may need updating. If you are unsure whether a change is significant, tell the team rather than assuming it can wait. It is better for the assessment record to reflect the position accurately than for important information to emerge later.

If you decide that fostering is no longer right for you, you can ask for the application to be withdrawn instead of paused. Withdrawal is different from a pause: it ends the current application, whereas a pause leaves open the possibility of reviewing your plans later. You can discuss the distinction with the fostering team before making your decision.

If you have already been approved as a foster carer, the process is different from an application that has not yet reached approval. In that situation, speak to your supervising social worker about the change, because the issue may concern your availability to foster or your approval arrangements rather than pausing an application.