Who can foster?

What's fostering?

Foster carers look after a child. Parental responsibility usually stays with the birth parents unless a court order is made so that it's shared with the local authority. In most cases, the child will return to their family at some point, but for a few children long-term foster care or adoption may be needed.

Types of fostering include:

• Emergency care
• Being looked after by family and friends, known as kinship care
• Long-term foster care

Why are children fostered?

Children are placed in foster care because their parents can't look after them.

In some cases, it gives the parents an opportunity to sort out their problems or have a break from looking after a child with a serious medical condition. It may also be used to provide care while a child's parents are ill or incapacitated.

In other cases, the child is removed from their parents' care because of abuse or neglect.

Who can foster?

In the UK, you must be 18 or over to foster. There's no upper age limit, but it's unusual for people to start fostering when they're over 60.

You can apply to become a foster carer if you're married, single, cohabiting or divorced. Your race, religion or sexuality won't affect your application. Other factors, such as whether you have a job, or a disability, will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

In Scotland, the criteria differs slightly. Unmarried gay and lesbian couples living together can't foster. Contact your local fostering agency for more details.

Foster carers need to be able to communicate well with children, demonstrate a responsible and sympathetic approach, and have enough energy to look after them.

How do I become a foster carer?

Contact your local fostering agency, which will be run by your local authority/trust social services department, or an independent organisation.

Once you've completed an application form, a social worker will visit you and write a report.

This will be presented to a fostering panel, which will approve or reject your application, or suggest further work or preparation is needed before you can foster.

You'll need to undergo a full medical check-up and your background will be investigated by the Criminal Records Bureau.

Do foster carers receive any training?

Fostering services ensure potential carers are fully trained for their role and all carers are reviewed annually.

A supervising social worker will visit foster carers on a regular basis and the child's social worker will also visit to make sure the child is happy and healthy.

Are foster carers paid?

The national minimum allowance for fostering a baby is £100 to £116 a week, rising to £151 to £176 a week for a teenager.