How do I become an emergency foster carer?

Becoming an emergency foster carer involves meeting the standard requirements for foster care and showing that you can make safe, well-informed decisions when a child arrives with limited background information. Emergency approval is not a separate shortcut around assessment; the fostering service must be satisfied that your household, home, skills and circumstances are suitable.

Before applying, consider whether your household can manage the uncertainty that often accompanies an emergency placement. You may receive limited information initially, and arrangements concerning health, education, family contact and the length of the placement may develop after the child arrives. You should be able to remain calm, follow safeguarding guidance, respect confidentiality and help a child settle without making assumptions about their circumstances.

Applicants are usually expected to meet several basic requirements:

• Applicants in England generally need to be at least 21 years old.
• You need a suitable bedroom and enough space for a child to live safely and privately. The exact requirements can depend on the child’s age and circumstances.
• All members of your household should understand and support the application, including children who already live at home.
• You must be able to provide a stable home environment and work constructively with social workers, education professionals, health services and the child’s family where appropriate.
• Your health, previous experience, employment arrangements, relationships, support network, pets and wider household circumstances will be considered.
• You do not necessarily need previous experience as a foster carer, but you must demonstrate the capacity to learn and apply safe care practices.

Checks form an important part of the process. These normally include identity and household checks, enhanced criminal record checks, health information, references and an assessment of your home. A criminal record does not automatically prevent someone from fostering, but some offences are incompatible with approval and every relevant matter must be declared and assessed honestly. The fostering service will also consider whether any existing commitments could affect your ability to care for a child arriving unexpectedly.

Your preparation should focus on more than completing paperwork. Pre-approval training usually covers safeguarding, child development, trauma and loss, behaviour, safer caring, allegations, recording information and working with professionals. For emergency fostering, it is particularly useful to understand how to welcome a child who may be frightened or unsettled, establish simple routines, manage boundaries and respond appropriately when you do not yet know the full history.

During the assessment, your assessing social worker will explore your reasons for fostering, your experience of caring for children, your responses to difficult situations and the practical arrangements in your home. They will discuss how you would manage school or nursery routines, appointments, transport, contact arrangements, medication, personal belongings and communication with the child’s social worker. The assessment is also an opportunity to identify any training or support you may need before approval.

Once the assessment is complete, a fostering panel or relevant approval process considers the evidence and makes a recommendation about your suitability. The final decision sets out the terms of your approval, including the age range, number of children and any other conditions that apply. You should only accept an emergency placement that falls within your approval and that your household can safely manage.

After approval, the practical preparation continues. Keep essential information available, agree household routines, consider how you will protect other children’s privacy, and discuss emergency arrangements with the people who may support you. You should also be familiar with the service’s procedures for recording incidents, reporting concerns and contacting your supervising social worker.

Become a Foster Family can guide prospective carers through the application, assessment and preparation stages, with local teams providing ongoing support after approval. The most useful first step is to discuss your household honestly with a fostering adviser so that you can understand the requirements, ask questions about emergency placements and decide whether this type of fostering is appropriate for you.