Interested in becoming a foster carer? 10 things you should know

As a foster carer with Foster with CANW

  • You will provide a young person with a safe, secure place to live, which could be for just a few days, or weeks, or months or years.

To become a foster carer, you need

  • to be at least 21 years old, but there is no upper age limit to becoming a foster carer
  • to be a full-time resident in the UK or have leave to remain
  • to have a spare bedroom big enough for a child or young person to live in
  • to be able to give the time to care for a child or young person.

Before you become a foster carer, you need to

  • Understand that an assessment can take up to eight months but we aim to complete the process between four to six months
  • Attend a two day Skills to Foster training course during your assessment, where you will learn a lot about what it means to be a foster carer and what you would need to do
  • Remember we will have agreed with you the type of child who will fit in with your family, from their age and gender to their ethnicity and religion
  • Remember that we will discuss what behaviours you think you can manage and the needs of the rest of your household too.

Once you are approved as a foster carer with Foster with CANW, don’t forget

  • You are under no obligation to accept any placement. Our highly skilled staff match children with the right foster family, but the decision to take a child in always rests with you. Whether you have loads, a little or no experience of parenting, you will always be well supported by CANW and our team is just a phone call away, 24/7, 365 days a year. Lots of training is available too.

Foster care is a challenge but it could be the most rewarding role you have ever undertaken. Fill in our online enquiry form here to find out how you could become a foster carer and transform lives.