Can you work and foster?
Fostering while working can be challenging, but it also offers amazing rewards. Read on to discover everything you need to know about work and foster care.
Can you work and be a foster parent?
Yes. There are plenty of benefits of fostering while working, and many of our foster parents choose to foster alongside their job.
You can foster while working part-time or full-time, and whether you foster as a single person or with a partner. With the right employer, support network and flexibility, working while fostering can have amazing benefits for both you and the child in your care.
So, if you can meet a child’s needs and provide a safe, nurturing environment, your employment status shouldn’t prevent you from caring for a vulnerable child.
Is working while fostering right for me?
In order for you to be able to thrive as a working foster parent, flexibility is key. Everyone involved in your decision to work and foster needs to be flexible, including:
- You - Fostering while working can be a challenge, but an exceptionally rewarding one. To work and foster, you need to be energetic, adaptable and ready to embrace change.
- Your support network - Every foster parent needs reliable support from the people close to them, whether you foster with a partner or have a trusted ‘back-up carer’ who you can rely on to ensure that the child in your care receives the attention and care they deserve, even when you’re unable to spend time with them.
- Your employer - Having a supportive and flexible employer who understands that you may need extra support when working and fostering can make all the difference.
- Your fostering agency - At Orange Grove, we’ll work flexibly and creatively to ensure that you can work and foster wherever possible, while also meeting the needs of the children you take care of.
Start your fostering journey here
Download our brochure and discover everything you need to know about fostering with Orange Grove.
How we’ll support you to foster while working
Everyone’s personal circumstances are unique, and there are lots of things to think about when considering working while fostering. These include:
- Your working hours - Fostering a child takes a lot of time, energy and commitment. We’ll work with you to make sure your work schedule can fit around the needs of a child.
- Your support network - Having a support network of friends and loved ones is vital for every foster parent and is especially important for single foster parents. Through support groups and local meet ups, we'll support you to build relationships with other local foster parents, and be available 24/7 to give you tailored advice and support.
- Your health and wellbeing - It’s important to take care of your own needs in order to be a great foster parent. We’ll help you to ensure that you’re fully prepared for the additional responsibility of looking after a child while working and will support you in any way we can.
We want everyone who is passionate about helping children to be able to foster and will work closely with you to accommodate your personal circumstances and find alternatives to make fostering while working suit you.
If you’re unsure about anything or would like some tailored guidance on your personal circumstances, reach out to our team who will be more than happy to help.
Download our finance guide today
Discover everything you need to know about fostering allowances, tax relief, benefits and pensions by downloading our Guide to Fostering Finances.
How your employer can support you
When you start your fostering journey, it’s really important to discuss your options with your boss so you can learn what flexible arrangements they might offer to support you in your role as a foster parent.
You should discuss what adjustments you could make to ensure that you’ll be available to fulfil your role and responsibilities as a foster parent. This may include making time to take your young person to school, making sure that they’ll be cared for during the school holidays and that you’re able to take them to any appointments.
You may also need to take them to visit their birth family, which is generally planned after school or on weekends. It’s important to also find time to complete your essential foster parent training modules. Some of this is e-learning, other courses are online courses in a group setting to help you balance your fostering and work commitments.
Did you know?
Many UK employers are now part of the Fostering Friendly scheme, which recognises employees’ fostering commitments and aims to help them in their fostering journey.
This programme offers extra support to foster parents, which can include flexible working hours and time off for training and caring for a child. This fantastic scheme is enabling more people across the UK to pursue fostering without having to sacrifice their career.
Why choose Orange Grove?
When you join us, you’ll benefit from:
- Excellent holistic support - If you’re committed to fostering and are driven by your wish to make a difference, you can rely on our team to help you balance your work life with your passion for fostering. With two weeks of optional respite, the support of a dedicated social worker and family support worker and the opportunity to speak with a therapist whenever needed, you can be confident that we’ll do all we can to take care of you and your family.
- Top-quality training opportunities - No two children are the same, so we’ll provide you with access to specialist training to help you fulfil their needs and build your skill set. Our training opportunities and fostering assessment process are designed to be flexible and work around you to ensure that you’re able to meet your other commitments.
- Expert matching - Our dedicated referrals team will use our careful matching process to match you with children whose needs you can best accommodate alongside working. Our matching takes into consideration the needs and preferences of you and your potential young person, ensuring that you can thrive together.
How will fostering impact my finances?
We support all of our foster parents with a generous fostering allowance which increases based on experience and which goes above and beyond the recommended rates, supporting you while you work and foster. Your fostering allowance covers the cost of caring for a child and also rewards you for all your hard work.
You'll also receive significant tax relief, making your allowance from fostering generally tax-free. This allows you to focus on nurturing and achieving positive outcomes for your children without undue financial burden.
When you join us, you’ll also benefit from additional financial support including a yearly payment to help you celebrate the birthdays and religious festivals of each child in your care, as well as access to our discount scheme which gives you offers on many of your favourite retailers and family days out.
Begin your fostering journey today!
Choosing to foster a child is a life-changing decision, and we’re always on the lookout for individuals and couples who are excited about the opportunity to make an incredible difference to the lives of children across the UK.
If you’re thinking of fostering but want to keep working, please get in touch so we can discuss your unique circumstances and help you find the right path. Simply complete our online form or give us a call on 0800 369 8513 – we're here to help and answer any further questions you may have about working while fostering.
Frequently asked questions
Is fostering a job?
Fostering is not considered a job, however, foster parents receive a generous fostering allowance to support them while they devote their time, love and attention to the children in their care.
Do foster parents receive respite?
Yes. When you foster with us, you'll receive 2 weeks of paid respite per year. Respite provides you with the opportunity to relax and unwind, so you can feel refreshed and always ready to provide the very best care for the children you take care of.
Can you get parental leave if you foster?
Currently, it's not a legal requirement in the UK for employers to pay for those who work and foster to have time off when they welcome a child into their home unless you're going down the fostering-to-adopt route.
However, employers are required to reasonably handle all flexible working requests, which could include suggested working hours that give the children in your care a comfortable home life. Foster parents can also take a 'reasonable' amount of unpaid time off work without notice to deal with unexpected emergencies affecting dependents, which would include children in care too.
There are also lots of different 'Fostering Friendly' employers, who have put excellent HR policies in place to provide foster parents with the support they need, including flexible working and paid time off for training and settling a new child into their home.
Can I hire a childminder to take care of my foster child?
No, children who are living with a foster family should not be cared for by a childminder. This is because many children in care need special, trauma-informed care, which a childminder may not have been trained in. Children may also have extra needs around attachment, and frequent changes in caregivers may not be the best choice to support their healing journey.
Can I send my foster child to a nursery or playgroup?
Yes, babies and young children who are living with a foster family can attend nursery or playgroup. In fact, as a working foster parent, you may be entitled to some hours of free childcare. Learn more about sending a child in your care to nursery and what government support you may be entitled to.
Can a trusted friend or family member look after the child in my care without supervision?
Yes, we encourage you to nominate a close friend or family member to support you with childcare duties, which also gives the young person in your care the opportunity to develop close bonds family-style bonds with the important people in your life. This is what we call a ‘back-up carer’.
This is a huge support for many working foster parents, particularly those who are fostering without a partner. To become a back-up carer, we’ll ask them to complete a mini fostering assessment, which includes background checks and references. This helps us ensure the health and welfare of any child in our care.
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Ready to start your fostering journey?
By phone
One of our team is available to talk to you over the phone to answer any of your fostering queries.
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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.