How is the timing of your first foster placement decided?

The timing of your first foster placement is not set by a standard waiting period. It is decided when an approved foster carer is identified as a suitable match for a child or young person, taking account of the child’s needs, your approval terms, your household and your current ability to provide care.

Once you are approved, your fostering team will have a clear understanding of the type of fostering you are able to offer. This normally includes the age range and number of children you can care for, the type of placements considered suitable, the space available in your home and any circumstances within your household that need to be considered. These details help the team assess referrals accurately rather than offering a placement simply because it is available.

How the matching process works

• A child needs a placement. A local authority or other placing organisation shares information about a child or young person who needs foster care. The information may include their age, background, behaviour, education, health, relationships with family members and any known risks or support needs.
• The referral is compared with your approval. Your fostering team considers whether the placement fits your skills, experience, household arrangements, home environment and the terms of your approval. Practical matters, such as travel to school or contact arrangements, may also be relevant.
• The information is discussed with you. You should be given enough information to consider whether you can meet the child’s needs safely and consistently. Your supervising social worker or another member of the fostering team can explain the referral and discuss questions or concerns.
• A decision is made about the proposed match. If the placement appears suitable, you decide whether you are able to accept it. The placing authority and fostering team then agree the arrangements, including the child’s immediate needs, introductions where appropriate and the support required when the placement begins.

The first referral you receive may not become your first placement. A referral can change, be offered to another foster carer or prove unsuitable once more information is available. Equally, some placements need to be arranged quickly because a child requires somewhere safe to stay. The pace therefore depends partly on the placement situation and partly on whether the match is appropriate for you and the child.

Factors that can affect the timing

• Your approval terms: The age, number and needs of children you are approved to foster affect which referrals can be considered.
• Your household: The impact on birth children, other adults in the home, pets and existing caring responsibilities may need to be assessed before a placement is agreed.
• Your skills and experience: A child with more complex emotional, behavioural or health needs may require a carer with particular training, experience or support arrangements.
• The child’s circumstances: Sibling relationships, school attendance, family contact, health appointments and links with the child’s community can all influence which homes are suitable.
• Your circumstances at the time: You may need to tell your fostering team if you are temporarily unable to accept a placement, for example because of illness, planned commitments or changes in your household.
• The type of placement: Emergency, short-term, long-term, respite and sibling placements each have different requirements. Being approved for one type does not necessarily mean that every placement of that type will be suitable.

Being ready to receive a referral does not mean that you must accept every placement suggested. Fostering safely depends on making an informed decision. If the child’s needs, circumstances or proposed arrangements do not fit your approval or household, discuss this openly with your fostering team. Accepting a placement that cannot be managed safely is not in the child’s interests or the interests of the household.

Your first placement may also require preparation after you have agreed to the match. This can include receiving fuller information, arranging equipment, confirming transport and contact plans, preparing other members of the household and agreeing who to contact for support. The amount of preparation will vary according to the circumstances and urgency of the placement.

There is therefore no reliable date that can be given in advance for a first placement. The relevant question is not simply how long you have been approved, but whether a suitable referral is available and whether the arrangements allow you to meet that child’s needs. Keeping your fostering team informed about your skills, preferences, household and changing circumstances helps them consider appropriate referrals and review whether a proposed match is workable.