Who arranges a foster care placement?

The child’s local authority is responsible for arranging a foster care placement. It does this through children’s social care, usually with the child’s social worker and a placements or commissioning team involved. The authority remains responsible for ensuring that the placement meets the child’s assessed needs, whether the foster carer is approved by the council or by an independent fostering agency.

The process usually begins when a social worker decides that a child cannot safely remain at home, or that their current care arrangement needs to change. The social worker gathers information about the child’s circumstances, including their age, health, education, relationships, behaviour, identity, cultural background and any additional support needs. This information is used to prepare a placement request.

Who does what?

• The child’s social worker assesses the child’s needs, contributes to the matching decision and explains the proposed move to the child and relevant family members.
• The local authority placements team searches for approved carers whose household, experience and availability may be suitable. It may search within the council’s own fostering service and contact independent fostering agencies.
• The fostering service or independent fostering agency provides information about its approved carers, their approval terms, household circumstances and experience. It may discuss whether a particular carer could meet the child’s needs.
• The foster carer considers the information provided and decides whether they can safely and appropriately care for the child. Approval does not mean a carer must accept every proposed placement.
• The child and family should be involved in decisions in a way that reflects the child’s age, understanding and circumstances. Their views are important, although the final decision must be based on safeguarding and welfare.

A placement is not normally arranged by a foster carer directly with a child’s family. It must be authorised through the appropriate local authority processes, with checks that the proposed arrangement is lawful, safe and suitable. This also applies when the proposed carer is a relative or someone already known to the child; the assessment and approval route may differ, but the local authority still oversees the arrangement.

How the matching process works

• The social worker identifies the type of care required and records the child’s key needs and risks.
• The placements team looks for approved foster carers who may be able to meet those needs. This can include considering the carer’s skills, household composition, location, space, transport, other children in the home and any current placements.
• The fostering service shares relevant information with the carer, subject to privacy and safeguarding requirements.
• The social worker and carer discuss whether the proposed arrangement is realistic and what support, introductions, contact arrangements or risk-management measures may be needed.
• The local authority confirms the placement and coordinates the move, including practical arrangements such as essential belongings, school information, health details and contact with parents or other relatives.

For an emergency placement, there may be less time for introductions and detailed planning. The same basic responsibility remains with the local authority, which must make immediate safeguarding decisions and then review the arrangement as more information becomes available. In a planned placement, there is usually more opportunity to exchange information, involve the child and prepare everyone for the move.

Where an independent fostering agency is involved, it does not replace the local authority’s responsibility for the child’s care plan. The agency’s role is to recruit, assess, approve, train and support its foster carers, and to work with the authority when one of those carers is considered for a placement. The local authority remains responsible for the child’s social care decisions and ongoing oversight.

After the child moves in, the social worker continues to monitor the placement and review whether it is meeting the child’s needs. The foster carer provides day-to-day care and reports relevant changes, concerns or progress to the fostering service and social worker. The child’s care plan, contact arrangements and support should be reviewed when circumstances change.

If you are considering fostering, you may receive a placement proposal from your fostering service, but you should be given enough information to make an informed decision. Ask about the child’s needs, known risks, education, health, family contact, expected duration, financial arrangements, training and the support available. Your supervising social worker can help you assess whether the proposed placement is suitable for your household.