How to Start Fostering: Your Journey
We know when someone is thinking about becoming a foster parent, they take their time and do their research and with hundreds of independent fostering agencies vs local authority, it can be a minefield of information and decisions to be made. Hopefully, Community Foster Care can offer you some clarity and answer your fostering questions.
Step 1: Getting in Touch
The first step to start fostering a child, teenager or sibling group, is to get in touch! We understand it might feel like a big first step but there is absolutely no pressure, it really is just a chat so you can find out more about fostering, who we are as a fostering agency and ask any questions you have.
You can complete our fostering enquiry form and one of our team will reach out to you over the phone on the number you provided or you can call us on 0800 0124 278. If we can’t reach you, we will send a follow up email and text message.
Step 2: Home Visit
After having our initial discussion, if we are both happy to continue exploring your fostering enquiry, one of our social work team will come to meet you in your home. It is very helpful for us to be able to meet those who live in your home, including any pets you have, and see your spare room(s). It also gives us both the chance to get to know one another better and to understand why you want to foster.
Step 3: Application
Following our initial visit to your home, if you are still keen to continue your fostering application and our social worker believes you are suitable, we will invite you to complete our fostering application form. This is an online form and will officially start your fostering journey with us!
Step 4: Fostering Assessment
Unlike many fostering agencies and local authorities, we are currently transitioning from the traditional Form F assessment to a more therapeutic model. This aims to provide a much more insightful and trauma-informed training for you in becoming a fantastic and better equipped foster parent. Your fostering assessment should take no more than 6 months from enquiry to approval.
“Completing the Thereputic Parenting course has been an excellent experience, not only to assist us in our journey as foster parents but personally. The course has helped us to understand our foster child and connect much faster than we had anticipated.
Utilising the techniques has positively impacted our new family member and from consistent use of the course values, we continually see growth. We are able to differentiate trauma from behaviour and help our child learn and develop at a rate we never would have expected.
I would highly reccomend the course as we are much better foster parents since completing!”
— Olivia & Scott, CFC Foster Carers
Step 5: Fostering Panel
When your fostering assessment process has been completed, you will be invited to the Fostering Panel. This is a panel made up of experienced professionals who work with Community Foster Care and our Panel Advisor. Your Supervising Social Worker will be there to support you. Your fostering assessment will be discussed with you and the panel will ask any further questions they have.
Step 6: Approval!
After you have attended foster care panel, the panel will assess all the information and then make a recommendation to our Agency Decision Maker. If the ADM is satisfied with your suitability to foster, they will then confirm your approval as a foster carer with Community Foster Care.
Welcome aboard, we’re super excited to explore this journey with you!