How Long Does the Fostering Process Take?

If you’re thinking about fostering in the UK, one of the first practical questions is: how long will it take from my first enquiry to approval—and to my first placement? The short answer is that most applicants are approved within four to eight months, but the exact timeline depends on your circumstances, your readiness with documents and training, and your fostering service’s panel schedule.

Below is a clear, stage-by-stage timeline, what can speed things up (or slow them down), and special cases like transfers and connected persons (family and friends) fostering.

The timeline at a glance

• Initial enquiry → pre-assessment checks: 1–3 weeks
• Form F assessment (home study, references, checks): typically 4–6 months
• Panel & Agency Decision Maker (ADM): usually within days to a couple of weeks after panel
• First placement: often within days or weeks of approval, subject to matching

Government guidance says the overall process can take up to around eight months from application to decision; many services aim for four to six months when circumstances are straightforward.

Stage 1: Initial enquiry and information stage (1–3 weeks)

Most fostering journeys start with a quick enquiry form or call to a local authority or an independent fostering agency (IFA). You’ll usually get:

• A discovery call to cover basics (spare room, household, motivation).
• An information pack and invitation to an information session or webinar.
• A no-obligation home visit (often called an initial home consultation).

If you’re comfortable to proceed, you’ll be invited to apply and supply ID, proof of address, and permission for statutory checks. Many services can move you from first call to application within a couple of weeks, depending on your availability.

Tip: Have documents ready (ID, proof of address, employment history, landlord consent if renting). Delays here ripple into later stages.

Stage 2: Training you complete before approval (the “Skills to Foster” course)

Before panel, applicants complete Skills to Foster, a practical introductory course covering safeguarding, safer caring, trauma-informed approaches, recording, and teamwork with social care and schools. Many councils run a two-day course (sometimes delivered across two to three sessions or evenings).

Tip: Book onto the earliest available date. Some teams link the training to panel dates, so attending the next slot can shave weeks off your timeline.

Stage 3: Form F assessment (the main chunk of time: typically 4–6 months)

Your assessing social worker will visit you (and your partner/household) several times to build the Form F report—your life history, parenting experiences, support network, home safety, finance, and motivation to foster. The report also evaluates what types of fostering might fit you best (e.g., short-term, long-term, siblings, teens, parent & child).

Across the UK, services commonly quote four to six months for Form F, though some complete it faster and some take longer if there are scheduling or checking delays.

What happens during Form F?

• Home study interviews: Several sessions covering your background and reflections.
• Referees & references: Personal and employer references, sometimes ex-partners.
• Health assessment: GP medical summary (you consent to your GP sharing this).
• DBS checks: Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks for adults in the home.
• Health & safety check: Basic home safety; safer caring plan drafted with you.
• Portfolio evidence: Basic documents (policies, safer caring, pet risk assessments).

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About DBS checks (and why they can affect timing)

Enhanced DBS checks—the type required for fostering—are usually turned around in a couple of weeks, but the range varies because local police forces handle part of the process. Recent provider snapshots put enhanced checks around 9–14 days on average, though some complete faster and others take longer when additional enquiries are needed.

Tip: Submit accurate information the first time (full address history, name spellings). Small errors can push a check back to the start.

Stage 4: Fostering panel and the decision (days to a couple of weeks)

When Form F is ready, you’re booked into fostering panel—a group of independent and service representatives who read your report, ask questions, and make a recommendation. After panel, the Agency Decision Maker (ADM) reviews panel minutes and the final documents. National Minimum Standards say the decision should be made within seven working days of receiving the recommendation and minutes; you’re told the outcome within two working days orally and within five working days in writing.

Tip: Panel dates fill quickly. If you can be flexible on dates/times, your service may offer a cancellation slot and get you in sooner.

Stage 5: Matching and your first placement (days to weeks after approval)

Once approved, your profile goes live with your fostering team. How quickly you receive your first placement depends on:

• Your approval range (age range, number of children, willingness to take siblings or short notice).
• Local demand—which is generally high for teens, siblings, and children with higher needs.
• Your availability for introductions and school schedule planning.

Many new carers accept a first placement within days or weeks after approval, particularly if they are open to short-term or emergency placements.

Why some people are approved faster (and why others take longer)

Factors that speed things up

• Quick paperwork and responsiveness: Returning forms, booking medicals, and attending training promptly.
• Stable references: Referees who reply quickly.
• Panel scheduling: Early booking and flexibility to take a short-notice slot.
• Clear home readiness: A suitable spare room, basic safety measures, and safer-caring policies ready to review.

Factors that can slow the process

• DBS or medical delays: Local police queries or GP processing times.
• Complex histories: More interviews or corroboration needed (which is normal and not a “negative”).
• Major life changes: Moving home, changing jobs, or relationship changes mid-assessment.
• Assessment scope: Seeking approval for specialist roles (e.g., parent & child, therapeutic) may add training/consultations.

Special routes and exceptions

1) Transferring from one fostering service to another (fast-track)

If you are an approved foster carer transferring (e.g., from a local authority to an IFA or vice versa), your experience and existing references can shorten the process. Many services complete a transfer assessment faster than a first-time Form F, particularly if your placement history and training folder are up to date. (Expect variability: your current agency provides references; a household change or allegation history needs full consideration.)

2) “Connected persons” (family and friends) fostering—how temporary approval works

Sometimes a child needs to live urgently with a relative, friend or someone known to them. In England, a local authority can grant temporary approval as foster carers to such connected persons while a full assessment is completed. The usual statutory position is:

• Initial temporary approval: up to 16 weeks
• Possible extension: up to a further 8 weeks where needed (maximum 24 weeks in total)

These time limits are widely reflected in local procedures and guidance, and some policies explicitly describe the 16 + 8-week framework.

What this means for you: If you’re caring for a child you already know, your temporary approval can be very quick (days), but you’ll still need to complete the full Form F assessment within the time window to continue as the child’s foster carer long-term.

A realistic month-by-month example

Month 0–1:
Enquiry, information session, initial home visit; you submit your application and ID, give referee details, and book medicals. DBS is lodged.

Month 1–2:
Start Skills to Foster training and Form F interviews. References and health & safety checks are underway. Enhanced DBS typically comes back during this window, but allow extra time in case of local police queries.

Month 3–4:
Assessment sessions continue; you review your safer caring policy and portfolio items. Your assessor drafts the report; you read and comment.

Month 4–5 (or 6):
You attend panel; the ADM decision follows shortly. If approved, you receive your terms of approval and join the placement list. Many carers are matched quickly, particularly if open to short-term or teen placements.

FAQs on timescales

Is eight months “normal”?

Yes—up to eight months is within government guidance for applying and reaching a decision. Many services aim for four to six months when checks and availability line up.

Can it be quicker than four months?

Sometimes. If references, DBS, medicals, training and panel all line up—and your background is straightforward—some people complete in the lower end of the range quoted by agencies.

What if my DBS takes longer?

Enhanced checks may take longer if a police force needs additional enquiries. It’s common—and it doesn’t mean there’s a problem. Build in a buffer.

How soon after approval will I have a placement?

Matching depends on your approval range and local demand. Many carers—especially those open to teens, siblings or short-term care—are matched within days or weeks.

I’m fostering a relative/friend in an emergency. How long can that continue on “temporary approval”?

Temporary approval for connected persons is up to 16 weeks, and can be extended by up to 8 weeks (maximum 24 weeks) while the full assessment is completed.

How to keep your timeline on track

1. Get documents organised early.
   Create a folder for ID, address history (last 5 years), employer details, GP info, car and home insurance, and pet vaccination/microchip paperwork.
2. Book the earliest training date.
   Ask for the next Skills to Foster course slot the moment you apply.
3. Line up referees in advance.
   Tell referees to expect a call/email and encourage swift replies.
4. Be flexible for visits and panel.
   Evening visits and short-notice panel cancellations can speed things up.
5. Complete safer-caring basics now.
   Draft simple household rules, prepare the spare room, check smoke alarms and window safety, and think through internet safety settings—this shortens the “to-do” list during assessment.
6. Keep your availability steady.
   If you can avoid major moves/job changes mid-assessment, do—it reduces rescheduling.

The bottom line

For most applicants, the UK fostering journey moves from enquiry to approval within four to eight months, with Form F taking the lion’s share of that time. Panel and the ADM decision follow soon after panel, and many new carers are matched quickly—especially if they’re open to a range of ages and placement types. Special routes like connected persons allow urgent placements on temporary approval while a full assessment is finished within the statutory window.

If you’re ready to start, the most time-saving step is simple: enquire, book the first available training, and submit your checks and references early. That way, the pieces that most often cause delay are already moving—bringing you closer to welcoming a child who needs you.