Can I choose which fostering placements I accept?

Your fostering approval sets the framework for the placements you may be considered for, but every placement decision is made through a matching process rather than personal selection. The aim is to identify an arrangement that is safe, suitable and manageable for the child and for everyone in your household.

Before a referral is discussed with you, the placing authority and fostering agency consider the information available about the child or young person. This can include:

• their age, personality, interests and daily routines;
• their health, emotional wellbeing and development;
• any trauma, behaviour or additional needs;
• their relationships with parents, siblings or other important people;
• contact arrangements, education and transport requirements;
• the type and likely duration of care needed; and
• how the placement may affect other children and adults in your household.

Your household is assessed against these factors. The matching discussion may consider your experience, training, available space, family routines, support network, work commitments and the needs of any children already living with you. The practical demands of the placement should be explained so that you can make an informed decision.

Your approval matters. During the assessment and approval process, you discuss the age range, number of children and types of placements your household may be able to provide. These agreed terms help the agency identify appropriate referrals. They do not mean that every referral within those terms will be suitable, because children with the same age or broad care plan can have very different needs.

You should ask questions before agreeing to a placement. Useful points include:

• What is known about the child’s history, needs and current circumstances?
• Why is the placement being sought, and what is the expected duration?
• What contact, education, health or travel arrangements will be involved?
• What behaviours or risks should the household understand?
• What information is still being assessed or remains uncertain?
• What support, equipment, training or practical planning may be needed?

Some information may be limited at the point a referral is made, particularly when decisions need to be taken quickly or circumstances are changing. That does not remove the need for a proper discussion. If important information emerges later, the placement plan should be reviewed with the supervising social worker and the relevant professionals.

A referral should only proceed when the information available indicates that the arrangement can be managed safely. If you believe a proposed placement does not fit your approval, household or ability to provide care, raise this clearly with the fostering team. Saying that a referral is unsuitable is different from refusing to support fostering generally; it is part of responsible decision-making and helps prevent a placement being made without a realistic plan.

Once a placement is agreed, the matching process continues through regular reviews. Your supervising social worker can help you consider how the arrangement is working, what additional support may be needed and whether your approval terms remain appropriate. If your skills, experience or household circumstances develop, these can be discussed as part of the formal fostering process rather than assumed automatically.

Become A Foster Family’s teams support prospective and approved foster carers through these discussions, with local staff based across the West Midlands. The important principle is that a placement should be considered carefully against the child’s needs and your household’s capacity, rather than accepted simply because it falls within a broad age range or placement type.