Once you've completed your home visit and are ready to take the step, you'll be asked to complete our foster care application form. You can complete this online or we can send out a paper form to fill in at home.
Once we’ve received your application to foster, our assessment manager will review it and if it's accepted, we’ll allocate a dedicated assessing social worker and begin your fostering assessment.
All your contact will be with your local Orange Grove team, so we’ll get to know each other well, and you can call us at any time for help or answer any questions you have about becoming a foster carer.
Speak to our team today
By phone
One of our team is available to talk to you over the phone to answer any of your fostering queries.
Enquire online
You can get in touch by filling out our online enquiry form with any queries that you may have.
Your local office
We have local teams covering most of England. Find your local office today.
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply to become a foster parent?
Almost anybody can apply to become a foster parent, as long as you meet the following basic criteria:
- You're over 21 years old
- You have a spare bedroom that's permanently available to a child
- You have the legal right to live and work in the UK
- You're passionate about making a life-changing difference to children in care
It doesn't matter if you're single, gay, married or straight and we encourage applicants from all ethnic backgrounds to join our team. The children we care for come from all walks of life and so we want a diverse community of foster parents to meet their needs.
You also don't need any experience or qualifications to apply as we provide you with all the training you need to be confident in your role. Although, you will find that some previous experience with children, either in a professional or personal capacity, is beneficial.
Do I need any special qualifications to foster?
No - you don't need any qualifications at all.
We'll provide you with an in-depth training programme which starts before you're approved and continues throughout your entire career, so you can develop new skills and become a true fostering professional.
I have children, can I still foster?
Yes, you can still foster if you have your own children living at home. In fact, it's often quite nice for the children coming into care to have other children in the home to play with and your own children can benefit from the experience too.
However, it is that your own children are on-board and supportive of your decision to foster and will be part of your assessment so we can get to know them. This will help us when matching a looked after child with your family.
Can I foster if I'm single?
Yes, you can. We have lots of single foster parents, both male and female. As a single foster parent, you'll need to consider your wider support network, friends or family you can call upon for help in times of need.