Which checks and references are needed to become a foster carer?
Becoming a foster carer usually involves enhanced DBS checks, health assessments, local authority checks and references from people who know you well. These checks help assess your suitability to foster and your ability to provide a safe, stable home for a child or young person.
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Checks and references are a central part of the fostering assessment. They help the fostering service verify your identity, circumstances, health, relationships and experience, and assess whether you can provide safe and consistent care. The checks are considered alongside interviews, home visits, training and other assessment information rather than in isolation.
Criminal record and safeguarding checks
An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is normally required for each applicant. Checks may also be needed for adults in the fostering household and for other people who regularly live or stay there. The fostering service will explain exactly who needs to apply and will ask for consent before the checks are completed.
A criminal record does not always prevent someone from fostering. The assessment will consider the nature of an offence, how long ago it happened, the circumstances, any pattern of behaviour and the steps taken since then. However, some serious offences, particularly those involving children, sexual offences or serious violence, can lead to automatic disqualification under fostering regulations. It is important to disclose convictions, cautions and other relevant information fully. Attempting to conceal something can raise greater concerns than the information itself.
Local authority and safeguarding enquiries
The fostering service usually contacts the local authority or authorities where you have lived. These enquiries help identify any previous involvement with children’s services, including information relating to children in your household or children you have cared for. Relevant safeguarding information is considered carefully and may need to be discussed with you during the assessment.
If you have lived outside the UK, the service may request police or safeguarding information from the countries concerned. The available evidence will depend on the country and the period involved. You may be asked to provide documents or information to help the agency make these enquiries.
Health assessment
You will normally need a health assessment completed by a registered medical professional, usually involving information from your GP. This is used to understand whether your physical and emotional health could affect your ability to care for a child, respond to the demands of fostering and manage the potential impact of placements on your wellbeing.
A medical concern is not automatically a reason for refusing an application. The assessment should consider your individual circumstances, any treatment or support in place, and whether adjustments could help you foster safely. You should provide accurate information about ongoing conditions, medication and relevant past health issues so that the assessment is based on a complete picture.
Personal and professional references
References are requested from people who know you well enough to comment on your character, relationships, reliability and ability to care for children. Referees may include friends, colleagues, employers or other people with sustained knowledge of your family life. The fostering service will usually seek more than one perspective and may decide that a particular referee is not sufficiently independent or suitable.
Where relevant, the service may contact a current or previous partner, including an ex-partner, particularly if that person can provide information about your relationships, parenting or household circumstances. An employer reference may also be needed if your work involves children or vulnerable people. Referees may be asked to complete written information and take part in a follow-up discussion.
References are not simply recommendations. A referee should give an honest account, including any concerns they believe the assessing team should understand. You should ask people in advance whether they are willing to act as referees and check that their contact details are current. A reference that identifies a concern does not necessarily end an application; the assessing team will consider it with the rest of the evidence.
Identity, household and employment information
You will be asked to provide documents confirming your identity and address, together with details of your household, relationships, employment and previous addresses. The service needs to understand who lives in or regularly visits the home, how your household operates and whether there are circumstances that could affect a child placed with you.
Information about your finances may also be discussed to establish whether your household can manage its normal commitments. This is different from assessing your income against a fixed threshold: the focus is on whether financial difficulties could affect the stability or safety of a placement. The service will explain which documents are needed for your circumstances.
How the information is used
Applicants are generally asked to complete consent forms and provide documents early in the assessment. The fostering service checks the information, follows up gaps or discrepancies and discusses relevant findings with you. You should tell the assessing team if your circumstances change, such as a new household member, change of address, relationship change, new conviction or significant health development.
Some information is sensitive, and checks are handled in line with data protection requirements. You should be told what information is being requested and why. If a check or reference raises an issue, you normally have an opportunity to provide context, clarify an error and explain what has changed since the event.
Once the checks, references and wider assessment are complete, the evidence is brought together in an assessment report. A fostering panel or the relevant decision-maker then considers whether the applicant meets the required standards and what type of fostering approval may be appropriate. Approval is based on the complete assessment, not on a single DBS result, medical opinion or reference.
Before applying, it is helpful to gather identity and address documents, prepare a full record of previous addresses and employment, and speak to potential referees. Being open from the beginning allows the fostering service to assess your circumstances accurately and explain any further evidence needed.
The best referees are people who have known you for long enough to give specific, balanced examples of how you manage responsibility, communicate with others and respond when circumstances are difficult. They do not need to be fostering professionals. What matters is that they have had meaningful contact with you and can comment from their own experience rather than simply provide a general character statement.
When considering who to nominate, think about people who have seen different aspects of your life, such as your approach to family responsibilities, work or community commitments. A close relative may know you well but may not be considered sufficiently independent, so discuss your proposed referees with the fostering service before submitting their details. If your circumstances mean that conventional work or personal references are difficult to provide, explain this early; the assessing team can clarify what other evidence may be appropriate.
Discuss the checks and references needed to become a foster carer
If you would like to understand how the fostering assessment applies to your circumstances, speak to the Become A Foster Family team before applying. They can explain the next steps and answer your questions about becoming a foster carer.