Thinking about fostering is exciting—and a bit daunting. This guide walks you through every stage in England, from the first enquiry to your first placement, with clear expectations on timeframes, checks, training, the panel decision, and what happens right after approval. Where it helps, I’ve added links to authoritative sources.
Step 1: Decide if fostering fits your life (and what type suits you)
Before you fill in a single form, sense-check the essentials:
- Spare bedroom: In almost all cases you’ll need a dedicated spare room for the child or young person. You don’t have to own your home.
- Who can apply: There’s no upper age limit and many people foster while working; your suitability is assessed against your capacity to meet a child’s needs. You apply either to your local authority or an independent fostering agency (IFA).
- Placement types: Short-term, long-term, emergency, respite, parent & child, and specialist/therapeutic fostering each place different demands on your time and household—start forming a view on what fits. (Your assessor will explore this more later.)
Many fostering services publish overviews of what the journey looks like and the typical time commitment. Expect several months from enquiry to approval, with some services signposting the 4–6 month range when paperwork, checks and training move promptly.
Step 2: Make an initial enquiry (and have a home/phone chat)
Your first contact is low-pressure. You share basic details and get a call or short visit to discuss:
- your family, work pattern, and support network
- your home set-up (that spare bedroom, pets, location, transport)
- what fostering involves week to week (contact, school runs, meetings)
At this stage the fostering service will also explain your routes to apply—local authority vs IFA—and the support model (training, supervision, out-of-hours), so you can choose the best fit for you.
Step 3: Submit an application and enter the assessment (Form F)
When you proceed, you complete an application and formally begin the assessment. In England this is recorded on Form F—the Prospective Foster Carer Report used nationally. In 2025, Form F was updated to use clearer, more child-focused language and to emphasise how applicants can meet children’s needs.
What assessors explore
An assessing social worker meets you (and your partner, if applicable) regularly to explore:
- your experiences, values and resilience
- parenting approaches and safe-caring ideas
- your support network and availability
- your home environment and local community
- your ability to work as part of a professional team
The assessor writes up the evidence in Form F and helps you get ready for fostering, not just assessed.
Step 4: Complete mandatory checks and reference
All fostering services carry out a set of legal and good-practice checks to keep children safe:
- DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) enhanced checks (usually with children’s barred list) for you and relevant adults in your household. Ofsted expects providers to administer DBS robustly; sector guidance summarises eligibility and practicalities.
- Personal references (often three), previous partners where relevant, and adult children—assessors seek balanced views of your caring capacity.
- Medical (GP report) to confirm you’re fit to foster.
- Home safety and pet risk assessments, plus finances and identity/right-to-work checks.
Services will explain what’s needed from whom, and in what order, so you can keep momentum. (DBS and GP reports are the most common causes of delay—start them promptly.)
Step 5: Do your pre-approval training (“Skills to Foster”)
Before panel, you’ll complete pre-approval training—most services use The Fostering Network’s “Skills to Foster” programme (now also available via an e-learning platform). It covers safeguarding, attachment and trauma, safer caring, identity and diversity, education, contact with family, teamwork with professionals, and everyday routines.
Training is interactive and reflective: you’ll practice scenarios, discuss boundaries (phones, gaming, curfews), and learn what records to keep. Providers may run their own equivalent pre-approval courses; the core purpose is the same—prepare you for the realities of fostering.
Step 6: Your assessor finalises Form F and you read it
As visits wrap up and checks land, your social worker drafts your Form F. You’ll read it, correct factual points, and discuss any sections you’re unsure about. Expect it to include:
- your personal history and family composition
- strengths and any vulnerabilities (with how you’ll be supported)
- caring/communication style and learning from the training
- house, bedroom, pets, and local resources
- what types of fostering and age ranges seem a good match
Form F is the core document panel members read, so take time to make sure it reflects you well. (The 2025 update aims for clearer, more accessible language for everyone involved.)
Step 7: Attend the fostering panel
Panel is a multi-disciplinary group (including independent members) who review your Form F and meet you. They’ll ask open questions to check understanding and explore how you’d respond to common situations (for example, supporting school transitions, handling contact, or responding to a safeguarding concern). After discussion, panel makes a recommendation about your approval (age ranges, number of children, placement types). A senior manager—your agency’s Decision Maker—then makes the final decision (often within 7–14 days).
If you disagree with the Decision Maker’s “qualifying determination” (e.g., a proposal not to approve), you can ask for an independent review via the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM), which sits outside your agency.
Step 8: After approval—matching, introductions and your first placement
Once approved, your supervising social worker (SSW) agrees a support plan with you and starts the matching process. You’ll receive referrals with a child’s background, needs and risks. A good match balances:
- the child’s needs and history
- your skills, experience and household dynamics
- practicalities: bedrooms, school commutes, contact arrangements
It’s absolutely okay (and professional) to say no to a referral that doesn’t feel safe or suitable. Your SSW will help you read referrals critically and ask the right questions.
Step 9: Money, equipment and tax (quick overview)
- Allowances and fees: You’ll receive a child maintenance allowance (covers day-to-day costs) and, in most schemes, a carer fee/skill payment that recognises your role and development. Amounts vary by service and placement type; your provider will give a written breakdown of what’s included (e.g., mileage, birthdays, holiday payments).
- Tax: Foster carers benefit from Qualifying Care Relief, a HMRC scheme that significantly reduces or eliminates income tax on fostering income. (Ask your service for the latest figures and HMRC helpsheet when you register for self-assessment.)
Step 10: The first 12 weeks—supervision, training and your first review
Your early months include:
- Regular supervision with your SSW, unannounced visits, and a focus on safe routines, school, and health.
- Ongoing training (e.g., safeguarding refreshers, recording skills, therapeutic approaches) to build on “Skills to Foster”.
- Recording and reports: You’ll learn to keep clear daily logs, incident records, and contribute to meetings (e.g., Personal Education Plan).
- First review: Typically around your first year (some services hold an early review), your approval is formally reviewed—panel may see you again if there are changes to your approval terms.
What the assessment actually looks like (in plain English)
Visits and conversations
Expect a series of structured conversations in your home (and sometimes online) exploring your life story, significant relationships, parenting experiences, managing conflict, and how you’d embed safer caring (e.g., bathroom/bedroom boundaries, visitors, photo permissions, social media rules).
Evidence and reflection
Good assessments aren’t about being “perfect”—they’re about showing insight, openness to learning, and a safe plan for areas you’re still developing. Your assessor will encourage you to link examples from work, parenting, caring roles, or community involvement to the skills needed in fostering. (The 2025 Form F revision specifically encourages a more accessible, child-needs-led write-up.)
Timeframe: how long does it take?
There’s no single statutory timescale in England’s fostering process equivalent to adoption’s Stage 1/2 model, but services commonly indicate 4–6 months if checks and training progress smoothly; it can be faster or slower depending on DBS/GP timescales, your availability for visits, and panel dates. Many providers publish step-by-step timelines to help you plan work and family commitments around the process.
Common questions (quick answers)
Do I have to give up work?
Not necessarily. It depends on your placement type, the child’s needs, and your support network. Some carers work part-time or flexibly; others take a career break, especially for very young children, high-needs placements, or parent & child placements. Your service will discuss realistic expectations during assessment.
Is a spare room always required?
A spare room is usually required, though there are rare exceptions (for example, some sibling assessments or specific short-term scenarios). Your assessor will explain how bedroom sharing rules apply and when exceptions could be considered.
I’m renting—can I foster?
Yes. Your tenancy and landlord consent will be checked as part of the home assessment; safety and stability matter more than home ownership.
What if I’m turned down or disagree with the terms of approval?
You can use your agency’s representations/appeal process, and you may be eligible to ask the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM)—a national, independent panel—to review the qualifying determination.
How to make your application stronger
- Build your support network: Panel wants to know who can help with school runs, emergencies, or a listening ear. Map this early and include practical details.
- Complete checks quickly: Book your GP medical and start DBS as soon as you’re asked—these are the common bottlenecks.
- Engage in training: Treat Skills to Foster as the start of your learning journey. Note what surprised you, what you’d do in real scenarios, and where you’ll seek advice—that reflective stance impresses panels.
- Draft a safer-caring plan: Even a simple first version (bedroom/bathroom boundaries, phones/social media rules, visitors, driving) shows thinking ahead.
- Ask questions about support: Night-time/on-call, respite, specialist training, and how you access therapeutic advice—these details matter in real life.
Checklist: documents and tasks you’ll likely complete
- Application form(s) and consents for checks
- ID/right-to-work and proof of address
- DBS applications (you and other relevant adults) and any overseas police checks if you’ve lived abroad
- GP/medical report and any follow-up requested
- References (personal/employment) and, where relevant, prior partners
- Home safety and pet risk assessments
- Pre-approval training (Skills to Foster) certificate or attendance record
- Reading and commenting on your Form F draft
- Panel date confirmed; you’ll receive joining instructions and the panel’s membership overview
- Insurance check (household/car) and notification to insurer if required by your policy
After you’re approved: the first placement and beyond
- Matching & introductions: You’ll start receiving referrals—read them carefully, ask for behaviour history, school and health information, contact plans, and transport expectations.
- The first week: Prioritise routines (school run, meals, sleep), health registration (GP/dentist), school liaison (Virtual School if needed), and a simple house guide for the child (bathroom rules, Wi-Fi, where things are kept).
- Support and learning: Expect regular supervision and a training plan—many services offer therapeutic parenting, attachment/regulation strategies, and recording skills modules post-approval.
Local authority or IFA: which should you choose?
There’s no single “right” answer. Local authorities hold statutory responsibility for children and usually place in their own pool first; IFAs often focus on placements that are harder to match, offer intensive support, or have specialist models (therapeutic, parent & child). Compare:
- support (out-of-hours, supervision frequency, peer groups)
- training depth and access to specialists (education, therapy)
- allowance vs fee structure and what extras are covered
- carer voice and culture: how responsive and respectful they are
Use your enquiry calls to gather this in writing so you can compare fairly.
Final thoughts
Fostering isn’t about being perfect—it’s about safety, availability, curiosity, and teamwork. If you can offer a stable home, clear boundaries, and compassion for children who’ve had a tough start, a fostering service will help you develop the rest. Start with an enquiry, book onto an information session, and let the process unfold: assessment (Form F), checks, Skills to Foster, panel, decision, and matching. By the time your approval letter arrives, you won’t just be assessed—you’ll be prepared.