Does whole family fostering require every household member to be approved?

Fostering approval applies to the adults who undertake the fostering role, not automatically to every person who lives in the household. However, the whole household is considered during the assessment because fostering affects daily life, relationships, privacy and safeguarding. Household members therefore contribute to the assessment in different ways, even though they do not become approved foster carers.

Adults living in the home will normally need relevant safeguarding and criminal-record checks, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks where required. The fostering service may also speak with them about their background, relationship with the applicants, understanding of fostering and any issues that could affect a child’s safety or wellbeing. These checks are separate from the applicants’ assessment and do not make the household member a foster carer.

Children and young people living in the household are not approved as carers. Their age, understanding and individual circumstances will be taken into account, and they should have an opportunity to express their views in a suitable way. The assessment may explore questions such as:

• how they feel about a child joining the household;
• what changes they expect in routines, attention and shared spaces;
• whether they understand the importance of confidentiality and safer caring boundaries;
• what support they may need if fostering creates difficulties; and
• how existing family relationships may be affected.

A household member does not usually have to provide formal approval in the same way as an applicant. Their views are nevertheless important. Significant concerns, opposition or uncertainty should be discussed openly rather than overlooked, because unresolved disagreement can affect the stability and safety of the placement. The agency will consider whether the household has a realistic understanding of fostering and whether the proposed arrangements are suitable for everyone, including the child who may be placed.

The assessment also looks beyond the names on the application. It can include the household’s routines, sleeping arrangements, relationships, boundaries, use of space and plans for managing visitors or contact with relatives. Anyone who regularly stays in the home or has substantial involvement in family life may need to be considered for safeguarding purposes, depending on the circumstances. The applicants should tell the fostering service about these arrangements so that the appropriate checks and advice can be identified.

If someone joins or leaves the household after approval, or if a household member’s circumstances change significantly, the fostering service should be informed. Further checks or a review may be needed before fostering arrangements continue or change. This helps keep the household assessment accurate and ensures that decisions remain focused on the child’s safety.

In practice, the applicants remain responsible for meeting the fostering requirements and completing the approval process. Other household members support that process by taking part in discussions, providing honest information and understanding the expectations that come with fostering. The assessing social worker can explain exactly what checks or conversations apply to each person in the home and how their views will be recorded.