Can foster carers work while providing a foster home?

Employment is considered alongside the practical demands of fostering, rather than treated as an automatic barrier. The key issue is whether your work pattern allows you to provide reliable care, attend to a child’s day-to-day needs and meet the responsibilities that come with being a foster carer.

Fostering can sometimes be combined with full-time, part-time, self-employed or shift-based work. However, the suitability of an arrangement depends on the child being considered and the level of care they need. A child who attends school and is becoming more independent may have different requirements from a baby, a child with additional needs or a young person who needs close supervision.

When considering your work and fostering together, you will need to look realistically at:

• your usual working hours, travel time and ability to change your schedule;
• whether you work from home, work on site, travel for work or work away from home;
• who will care for the child during working hours, school holidays and unexpected changes;
• your ability to attend meetings, training, health appointments, school events and contact arrangements;
• how your employment pattern would affect other children or adults in your household; and
• what practical support is available if you are ill, delayed or temporarily unable to provide care.

Foster carers are expected to be directly involved in a child’s care. Another adult cannot simply take over the main caring role because a carer is at work. Any childcare or supervision arrangements must be suitable for the child, agreed with the fostering service and consistent with the child’s care plan and safeguarding requirements.

This means that some jobs may need adjustments. You might need to discuss flexible hours, home working, annual leave, a change of shift pattern or a different approach to school holidays with your employer. Self-employed applicants should consider how accepting a placement could affect appointments, contracts and the amount of work they can take on. It is important to discuss possible changes before applying rather than assuming that existing arrangements will remain workable.

Couples may be able to share responsibilities, but both adults will still need to understand their individual role in caring for the child. A couple should consider whether one person can be available when the other is working and how they would manage work commitments if the child’s needs change. Single applicants can also be considered, provided there is a safe and dependable support network and a clear plan for the times when they cannot provide care themselves.

Work patterns are reviewed again when a potential placement is discussed. The child’s age, background, routines, education, health, contact with family members and assessed needs all affect whether a particular placement is appropriate. A fostering service should be open with you about the responsibilities involved so that you can decide whether a proposed placement fits your household and employment circumstances.

You may also need to plan for responsibilities that happen during the working day. These can include school communication, appointments, professional meetings, training and visits connected with the child’s care. Some children may need help settling into a new home or education setting, so an arrangement that appears manageable on paper may need extra flexibility at the start of a placement.

During the assessment, be honest about the hours you work, the support you can rely on and any limits on your availability. A clear plan is more useful than presenting an idealised picture. The assessment will look at whether your arrangements are safe, stable and realistic, and whether they can be adapted to the needs of a child.

Before making an application, speak with your employer and the fostering service about your circumstances. Ask how your proposed work pattern would be considered, what commitments fostering may involve and what arrangements would need prior agreement. This will help you understand whether you can continue working while providing a foster home and whether changes to your employment or household routine may be needed.