Can I decline an emergency foster care placement?

A proposed emergency placement is a request to consider, not an automatic obligation to accept. You should make the decision with your supervising social worker by checking whether the placement is consistent with your approval, your household’s circumstances and the information available about the child’s needs.

Reasons a placement may not be suitable include:

• the child’s age, needs or known risks fall outside your approval terms or experience;
• the household does not have the appropriate sleeping arrangements or space;
• the placement could create an unmanaged risk for children already living in the home;
• you cannot safely manage the child’s health, behaviour, communication or support needs;
• the proposed contact, school, transport or other practical arrangements cannot be managed;
• a member of the household is unwell, absent or experiencing circumstances that affect your capacity; or
• you do not have enough relevant information to decide whether the placement can be managed safely.

Emergency decisions may need to be made with limited information, but you should still be given the key facts available. Ask about the child’s age, legal circumstances, health, medication, known risks, behaviour, communication needs, contact arrangements and any immediate support required. Your supervising social worker can help identify what is known, what remains uncertain and whether suitable safeguards can be put in place.

Explain your decision clearly and promptly rather than giving an uncertain answer or accepting and then trying to end the arrangement immediately. You do not need to disclose private details unnecessarily, but recording the practical reason for your decision helps the fostering team understand your current capacity and consider future referrals more accurately.

Declining one placement should not normally be treated as a failure. Foster carers are expected to accept only placements they can manage safely and appropriately. However, repeatedly declining requests, or regularly finding that proposed placements do not fit your approval, may indicate that your approval terms, training needs or household circumstances should be reviewed. This is a discussion with your supervising social worker, not a reason to accept a placement that is unsuitable.

Your decision should be based on the child’s needs and your ability to provide safe care. It should not be based on assumptions or discriminatory preferences about the child or their background. If you are unsure whether a concern is relevant, discuss it with your supervising social worker so that the decision is fair, evidence-based and focused on safeguarding.

Once you have accepted and the child has moved in, you remain responsible for providing care while the agreed arrangements are reviewed. If new information emerges, or you believe the placement is unsafe or cannot continue, contact your supervising social worker and the relevant fostering team immediately. Do not make an unplanned arrangement for the child to leave or attempt to manage a serious safeguarding concern alone; follow the agreed emergency and safeguarding procedures.

Before making a decision, ask your supervising social worker to clarify the child’s needs, the support available, the expectations for the first period of care and any conditions attached to the placement. This gives you a proper basis for accepting or declining and helps ensure that a child is matched with a household able to meet their needs.