How to become a foster parent

We welcome people from all backgrounds to join this life-changing career and are always on the lookout for passionate, kind-hearted people to join us.

To become a foster parent with us, there are only three initial requirements. We’re looking for people who:

• Are aged 21 or over
• Have a spare bedroom ready to welcome a child
• Have the legal right to live and work in the UK

Apart from this, we’re looking for compassionate, loving people who are ready and able to welcome a young person into their home. If you think you’d be a great fit, get in touch!

You don't need any experience or qualifications to apply to foster. We’ll provide you with all the training you need to be confident and successful in your role.

If you have previous experience with children, either having raised your own or having cared for children in a professional or voluntary setting, you’ll be bringing lots of advantageous skills along with you on your journey. 

A spare bedroom is an essential requirement for fostering. Your spare room will need to be large enough for a child to work, rest and play. It's important for everyone in your home that the child in your care has a safe space to call their own, where they can have privacy and alone time if they need it.

Learn more about the requirements of a spare bedroom 

We’ll carry out various checks, such as an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service), local authority and health and safety checks, as well as collect a number of personal and professional references.

These checks and references are a vital part of the application process to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the children and young people we may place with prospective foster parents.

Foster care background checks and references

To become a foster parent, you'll need to share all kinds of details of your life. Your assessing social worker will visit you 6-8 times over several months, to get to know you better. It’s important to be open and honest so that your assessing social worker can paint a realistic picture of the skills, attributes and experiences which you’ll be able to bring to your role as a foster parent.

You may be asked to share some difficult experiences from your life which may be hard to talk about. We recognise that sharing past experiences can be very painful, and we want to assure you that we’ll handle topics with the patience and sensitivity they deserve.

Your assessing social worker will also want to speak with various important figures in your life to understand you better. This may include lifelong friends, family members, or a previous partner. 

It’s normal to find this process somewhat intrusive. Be assured that your assessing social worker and local Orange Grove team will be with you every step of the way, putting you at ease and ensuring your fostering assessment is as smooth as possible.

There are a number of different background checks and references that we'll need to complete as part of your foster assessment. This includes personal and professional references, an enhanced DBS check (Disclosure and Barring Service) on any adult living in your home, and a health and safety check on your home. We'll also need to assess any pets around the home to ensure they’re comfortable around children.

These checks and references are a vital part of the assessment process to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the young people we place with our foster parents. If you have any more questions about the fostering assessment, get in touch with our friendly team on 0800 369 8513.

Find out more about background checks and references