How long does becoming a therapeutic foster carer take?

There is no fixed timetable for approval as a therapeutic foster carer. The process is complete only when the fostering service has finished its assessment, all required checks and training are in place, and an independent fostering panel has considered the evidence before a formal decision is made.

The main stages are:

• Initial enquiry and discussion: You first talk through your household, experience, availability, home circumstances and the needs of children you may be able to care for. This helps establish whether therapeutic fostering is a suitable route for you.
• Home visit: A member of the fostering team normally visits your home to discuss fostering in more detail, look at the practical arrangements and answer questions from everyone who lives there.
• Formal application: If you decide to proceed, you complete an application and provide information about your background, relationships, health, employment and household. The fostering service then begins the formal assessment.
• Checks and references: These can include criminal record checks, medical information, local authority checks, personal references and checks relating to other adults in the household. The time needed depends partly on how quickly information is returned and whether any points need further clarification.
• Preparation training: You complete fostering preparation training covering safeguarding, attachment, trauma, behaviour, safer caring and working with professionals. Therapeutic fostering may also involve additional learning about the impact of developmental trauma and how therapeutic approaches are used in everyday care.
• Assessment: Your assessing social worker gathers information through meetings with you and, where appropriate, other household members. The assessment considers your capacity to provide consistent care, work as part of a professional network, manage challenging situations and support a child’s individual needs.
• Panel and decision: Once the assessment is complete, it is presented to a fostering panel. The panel makes a recommendation about approval, including the age range, number of children and types of placements that may be appropriate. The agency decision-maker then makes the formal approval decision.

What can affect the timescale? Delays can arise when checks, references or medical information take longer to obtain, when documents are incomplete, or when the assessment identifies questions that require more evidence. Your personal circumstances can also affect progress, particularly if household members need further discussions or if changes at home, work or in your availability need to be considered.

Therapeutic fostering requires careful consideration of the support a child may need and the skills available within the household. For that reason, the assessment may explore your understanding of trauma, your ability to maintain boundaries and routines, and how you would respond when a child’s behaviour is linked to previous experiences. This is not simply a question of completing paperwork; the fostering service needs enough information to recommend an appropriate and safe approval.

You can help the process move forward by returning forms promptly, preparing details for references and previous addresses, attending all training and being open about your circumstances. It is better to raise questions or disclose relevant information early than to leave gaps that have to be investigated later. Your fostering team should explain what is outstanding and what happens next at each stage.

Approval is separate from receiving a placement. After approval, the service still needs to identify a placement that matches your approval terms, skills, household and the child’s needs. This matching stage can take a different amount of time and is not part of the approval assessment itself.