What training is required before becoming a foster carer?

Pre-approval training is the structured learning completed by prospective foster carers before a fostering service can recommend them for approval. It helps you understand the day-to-day responsibilities of caring for a child who may have experienced disruption, loss or difficult relationships, and gives you an opportunity to consider whether fostering is right for your household.

The programme normally combines information about fostering with practical discussion. Rather than simply testing your ability to remember facts, it is intended to help you think through how you would respond to realistic situations. You may be asked to consider how a child’s needs could affect family routines, relationships, privacy, school life and contact with their birth family.

Depending on the fostering service, preparation may include:

• how children’s previous experiences can affect their development, communication and behaviour;
• the legal and professional framework surrounding foster care;
• recording significant events and sharing information appropriately;
• maintaining appropriate boundaries within the household;
• supporting a child’s identity, culture, religion and existing relationships;
• responding to accidents, complaints, allegations and other difficult situations;
• working with social workers, schools, health professionals and the child’s family; and
• how fostering may affect other children and adults in your household.

Training is usually delivered through a mixture of group sessions, discussions, exercises and case examples. Some services may provide elements online, while others use face-to-face sessions. The format, timetable and assessment activities differ between fostering services, so your assessing social worker should explain what applies to you.

Applicants are expected to participate actively. This may involve asking questions, discussing your views and reflecting on how you would manage particular situations. You do not need to arrive with specialist knowledge, but you should be willing to examine your assumptions, listen to other perspectives and consider how your responses could affect a child in your care.

Where a couple is applying, both applicants will generally need to take part. The fostering service may also ask other adults in the household to attend part of the preparation or contribute to discussions. This helps everyone understand the changes fostering could bring and identify any concerns before a placement is made.

Completing the course does not by itself mean that you will be approved. Training is one part of the wider assessment, which also considers your circumstances, relationships, health, home, support network and ability to meet the needs of children. Your participation may help the assessing social worker understand your strengths, areas for development and any further learning that would be useful.

It is sensible to use the training to ask practical questions about matters such as household rules, personal belongings, use of technology, transport, contact arrangements, confidentiality and managing disagreements. You can also ask how the service will support you during assessment and what additional preparation is expected before a child is placed.

After approval, foster carers continue to develop their knowledge through ongoing training and support. The subjects covered later will depend on the children placed with you, your experience and any learning needs identified by the fostering service. Pre-approval training is therefore the starting point, rather than a qualification that completes your learning.

Before applying, check with the fostering service which preparation course it uses, who must attend, how sessions are delivered and whether any follow-up work is required. This will give you a clear understanding of the commitment involved and help you prepare fully for the assessment that follows.