Can foster carers choose the age of child they foster in Bromsgrove?

Age preference is considered as part of your fostering approval, but it is not a right to select placements. During the assessment, you will discuss the age range you could realistically care for and the types of needs you feel able to manage. The resulting approval is based on your skills, household circumstances, home environment and ability to meet children’s needs safely.

Your preferred age range should reflect your practical capacity. The assessing social worker may explore:

• your experience of caring for babies, children or teenagers;
• how your work, health, routines and other responsibilities affect the care you can provide;
• the space, sleeping arrangements and safety measures in your home;
• how other children or adults in the household may be affected;
• your ability to support contact arrangements, education, appointments and daily routines; and
• any training or additional support that could help you care for a particular age group.

Age is not always an accurate guide to a child’s development. A child who is chronologically older may need help with routines, emotional regulation or independence that is more typical of a younger child. Trauma, disrupted relationships, disability, neurodiversity and other experiences can affect development in different ways. For this reason, matching considers the child’s developmental, emotional and practical needs rather than looking only at their date of birth.

Different age groups can involve different responsibilities. Caring for a baby or young child may involve close supervision, support with routines and appointments, and helping the child develop a sense of safety. School-age children may need help with education, friendships, behaviour and maintaining familiar routines. Teenagers may need support with education, identity, relationships, boundaries and preparation for greater independence. These are general considerations, and every child’s needs will be individual.

You may also discuss whether you could care for siblings. A sibling group can include children of different ages, so the proposed arrangement may require enough space, time and practical capacity to meet several children’s needs together. The fostering service will consider whether keeping siblings together is suitable and whether your household can safely support the proposed group.

Once you are approved, your supervising social worker and the child’s social worker will consider whether a particular placement is appropriate. They will look at the child’s needs, your approval, the needs of everyone in your household, available space, travel and education arrangements, contact plans, and the support required. You should be given relevant information so that you can consider whether you are able to meet the proposed child’s needs before agreeing to a placement.

You can explain if a proposed placement falls outside your experience or would not be manageable for your household. It is important to raise concerns honestly rather than accept an arrangement you cannot safely sustain. Saying that you need more information or support can help the fostering team assess whether the match is suitable.

Your circumstances and confidence may develop over time. If you later want to care for a different age group, or your household situation changes, discuss this with your fostering service. A review, further assessment or additional training may be needed before your approved range or placement options are changed.

For anyone considering fostering in Bromsgrove, the most useful starting point is to think about the ages and needs you can support consistently, not simply the age you would prefer. A fostering assessment can then establish whether that range is appropriate and identify the preparation and support needed for the role.