How to Become a Foster Carer
Considering fostering a child or young person? Read our information guide which outlines the requirements, the process, and the benefits of becoming a foster carer and provides you with all the information you need to make an informed decision.
What Is a Foster Carer/Parent?
A foster carer, or foster parent, is someone who provides support and care to a child or young person who is unable to live with their birth family. They are responsible for providing a safe and nurturing environment and helping the child or young person to reach their full potential.
Foster Carer or Foster Parent?
Foster parents and foster carers mean the same thing regarding the role of fostering a child or young person. Some prefer to use one term over the other, whilst others use a mix of the two, depending on personal preference. Both terms refer to the same role and have the same responsibilities.
What Are the Criteria for Becoming a Foster Carer?
To start the process of becoming a foster carer, you will need to meet certain basic criteria. The fostering provider you choose to start your application with will ask early on if you have the following:
- A spare bedroom available for a child or young person within your home.
- There is no upper age limit to being a foster carer but, you must be over the age of 21 years old.
- Have British Citizenship or indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
- You must be medically fit to work.
- You must not have a criminal conviction for an offence against a child or a sexual offence.
Having a criminal record for any other offence does not necessarily stop you from becoming a foster carer. Your criminal convictions or cautions will be explored with you by the fostering provider.
You don’t need any qualifications to apply, but you should bring enthusiasm, empathy, respect for individuality and diversity and a willingness to learn and undertake training.
Is Fostering Paid?
Yes, fostering is considered a full-time career and foster carers are paid by their fostering provider.
The remuneration for fostering varies by provider, (Local Authorities in general pay less) and can range from anything between £350pw to over £1,000pw. The exact amount will depend on who you foster with and the type of home-finding arrangement you consider; children with enhanced/additional needs (such as children with disabilities or complex health needs), or fostering siblings will pay a higher fee. Foster carers also benefit from generous tax relief on their fostering income, with many foster carers receiving tax-free payments.
How Much Can I Earn Fostering with Swiis?
Swiis recognises the important role foster carers play in the lives of the children and young people they foster and rewards them for their hard work and dedication. Below is a guide on how much you could earn if you foster with Swiis:
One Child
Up to
£625
/week
Swiis pay excellent allowances. Together with outstanding support from Swiis, our foster carers play a significant role in transforming the lives of vulnerable children.
Swiis foster carer’s pay for one child in arrangement is the equivalent to £32,500. All of which is TAX FREE.
Enhanced One Child
Up to
£1,380
/week
Swiis will pay an enhanced fee if we are only able to place one child who, due to additional needs, is required to be placed on their own with no other children.
Swiis foster carer’s pay for an enhanced arrangement is equivalent to £71,760. £47,220 of this is TAX FREE for a child over 11 years old. £43,060 is tax free for under 11s.
Two Siblings
Up to
£1,218
/week
Foster Carers who are able to accommodate two siblings of any age will be paid a greater fee.
Swiis foster carers pay for two siblings is Equivalent to £63,336. All of which is TAX FREE.
Two Unrelated Children
Up to
£1,250
/week
Foster carers who are able to accommodate two unrelated children will be paid a higher fee. You must have two available bedrooms.
Swiis foster carer pay for 2 unrelated children is equivalent to £65,000. All of which is TAX FREE.
Parent & Child Arrangement
Up to
£1,167
/week
Foster carers who undertake a Parent and Child arrangement will receive specialist training and support. These arrangements tend to last no longer than 12 weeks.
Swiis foster carer’s pay for a Parent and Child arrangement is Equivalent to £14,004 for a 12-week arrangement. All of which is TAX FREE*.
*This is based on the pay from Parent & Child Arrangement not exceeding £40,420 in any one tax year.
Please note the above pay and allowances are an indication of the weekly payments made for each arrangement type. All fees vary as each arrangement is assessed on an individual basis and can differ by region.
Fostering Allowances are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change, talk to a member of the Swiis team to discuss how the finances could work for you. For current tax free allowances, please see the Gov.uk website.
Swiis Welcome Support Payment
New Swiis foster carers benefit from a £1,000 Welcome Support Payment when they start their first fostering home-finding arrangement. This payment is to ensure you have everything you need to start your fostering journey.
Fostering with Swiis Foster Care
Swiis Foster Care is the UK’s largest, family-run, independent fostering provider with over 30 years of experience within the social care sector.
We are passionate about achieving the best possible outcomes for ‘children looked after’ as demonstrated by our exceptional retention rates and educational results, which are amongst the highest in foster care.
Our locations in the North East, North West, Yorkshire, Midlands and South have all received Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ awards.
What Support and Training Will I Receive?
Foster carers will receive comprehensive training and support to develop the skills necessary to provide the best possible care to the children or young people within their care.
Once you have applied to foster, you will undertake the initial ‘Toolkit for Fostering’ training which commences immediately prior to, and during, your assessment process, in addition to a number of mandatory and specialist courses and webinars once you have been approved.
Swiis social workers are available to provide 24/7 ongoing support, along with a team of dedicated placement support workers, health, education and behavioural specialists.
Call us today on 0333 577 1234 or fill out the form below to find out more about how much you could earn and the life-changing difference you could make to a child or young person.
The Process of Becoming a Foster Carer
Step 1: Application Form
You complete an application form on our website and our team will get in contact with you to discuss your enquiry. The Swiis team arranges a telephone interview at a suitable time to gain further information about you, your circumstances, your family and your eligibility to foster.
Step 2: Home Visit
Following on from a successful telephone interview, a member of the fostering team will visit you at home to undertake an Initial Home Visit. This is to ensure that your home and spare room are suitable for a fostered child or young person.
Step 3: Introductory Training
If your home visit is successful, you will be invited to attend the Day 1 Introduction to Fostering training. The training will provide you with the information you need to understand your fostering role. Following this training, and if you wish to proceed to apply to foster, you will be asked to complete an application form to begin your fostering assessment.
Step 4 – Assessment & Background Checks
We will assign you a registered social worker who will carry out the assessment. The social worker will arrange a number of visits to your home and will want to speak to everyone who is living in the house where you will foster.
At the same time, you will undergo a number of background checks and we will request a number of references from people who know you. This is usually the longest step of the application process and requires participation from you and your family. During this time, you will also be required to attend a further 3 days of training.
The assessment can take between 4 to 6 months depending on the checks which need to be undertaken and your availability for assessment visits. The assessment can progress at the pace you feel comfortable with and you should use this time to ensure that you ask as many questions as you wish.
Step 5: Fostering Panel
Once completed, your fostering assessment will then be presented to the Fostering Panel. The foster carers will be required to attend in order to respond to questions from the Panel, your assessment social worker will attend the meeting with you for support and share information where necessary. The Fostering Panel will make a recommendation as to whether you should be approved as a foster carer. It is only on a rare occasion that the Fostering Panel declines or defers an application.
Step 6: Approval
The Agency Decision Maker will then review all the information and make a final decision on whether you should be approved as a foster carer. Once you are officially approved, Swiis will create a ‘Family Book’ for you, which details interesting information about you and your family, including pictures of everyone in your household and where you live, so that children who are being considered to be placed with you, have the opportunity to know a little more about you and your family.
Local Authorities will be informed of your availability and the Swiis Placements Team will start the process of matching you with your first child or young person.
Types of Fostering Home-Finding Arrangements
There are various types of fostering arrangements available and depending on your family circumstances, the Swiis Home-Finding Team will help you to decide what type is appropriate for you. For more information, please visit our page on the types of fostering arrangements.
Short-term
Looking after a child or young person on a short-term basis from anywhere between a few days to weeks or months, before they move on to their next step.
Long-term
When a child or young person cannot return to their birth family and adoption isn’t suitable, they may enter into long-term foster care that can last several years.
Respite
Respite or ‘short break’ arrangements, are to provide relief to the foster carer or birth family. These typically last from one night to up to a week.
Sibling
Keeping children and young people together is extremely important. With a sibling fostering arrangement, two or more children are placed with a foster carer in order to keep them together.
Additional or Enhanced Needs
Children requiring foster care with additional or enhanced suppot include those with complex medical needs or physical or learning disabilities, such as ASDs (autistic spectrum disorders), and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Children with high levels of complex and challenging behaviour may also require this type of arrangement.
Parent and Child
In a parent and child foster arrangement, you can give young parents support and guidance during their child’s early weeks, and months.
Emergency
When a child urgently needs a foster home, an emergency foster arrangement is required. Depending on the circumstances, the stay may last a night, a week, or even longer.