How long does the fostering process take?

There is no single timetable for becoming a foster carer because the process depends on the checks, information and assessment work required for each applicant and household. The timescale is shaped by how quickly evidence can be gathered, whether appointments are readily available and whether the fostering service needs to explore any issues in more detail.

The main stages are:

• Initial enquiry and application: You discuss your circumstances with a fostering service and provide the basic information needed to begin. This is an opportunity to ask questions about eligibility, the types of placements available and what fostering would mean for your household.
• Initial checks: The service considers whether you meet the basic requirements to proceed. This can include checking your identity, household circumstances, employment and home environment.
• Training: Pre-approval training helps you understand safeguarding, trauma, attachment, behaviour, contact with birth families and the practical responsibilities of fostering. Training may take place alongside other parts of the assessment rather than only at the end.
• Assessment: A fostering assessor gathers detailed information about your background, relationships, health, parenting experience, support network, finances and reasons for fostering. The assessment is also about identifying your strengths and the support or preparation you may need.
• Checks and references: The service completes the required checks, which can include criminal record checks, medical information, local authority checks, employment references and personal references. Information from previous addresses, relationships or employment may also need to be considered.
• Fostering panel and final decision: The completed assessment is presented for consideration. The final approval decision is made by the fostering service’s authorised decision-maker, taking account of the assessment and panel recommendation where applicable.

What can make the process take longer? Delays often arise when information has to be obtained from several organisations or people. Examples include waiting for references, medical details, criminal record checks or records from another local authority. A move of home, a recent change in employment, a complex family history or information that needs further clarification can also lead to additional assessment work.

The availability of everyone involved can affect progress as well. Foster carer assessments usually involve conversations with all members of the household, and sometimes with people who provide regular support. Coordinating these discussions, attending training and arranging home visits can take longer where diaries do not align. This does not necessarily indicate a problem with the application; it may simply mean that the assessor needs enough time to complete the work properly.

What can help keep things moving?

• Provide accurate information and requested documents as soon as you can.
• Tell the fostering service about any previous names, addresses, jobs or overseas connections that may need to be checked.
• Let your assessor know promptly if your circumstances change.
• Make sure the relevant members of your household understand that they may need to take part in discussions or training.
• Attend agreed appointments and raise questions early if you are unsure what is required.
• Start considering practical arrangements, such as where a child would sleep and how fostering would fit around work, school and family commitments.

Being prepared does not mean that every stage will happen immediately, because some checks are controlled by external organisations. It can, however, reduce avoidable gaps and help the assessor build a complete picture of your suitability.

The process is not simply a waiting period. Assessment meetings and training are designed to help you decide whether fostering is right for your household as well as enabling the service to assess your suitability. You should have opportunities to discuss the types of children you may be able to care for, the support available, financial arrangements and any concerns you have before approval is considered.

Approval is also not the same as receiving a first placement. After approval, the fostering service considers which referrals match your approval, skills, household and available space. This may involve further discussion and preparation before a placement is agreed, so the point at which you become approved and the point at which a child joins your household are separate parts of the wider fostering journey.

For a more accurate indication of your own timetable, ask the fostering team to explain which stages have been completed, what information is still outstanding and whether any steps can take place at the same time. Become a Foster Family provides guidance, training and ongoing support through the process, with local teams serving Birmingham, Worcestershire, Staffordshire and the wider West Midlands.