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Steps to become a foster carer

We’re here to make becoming a foster carer as easy as possible and will provide you with all the advice and guidance you need to help you start your fostering journey.

We know that to achieve a healthy society our focus needs to be on children who need to be supported to build, achieve and succeed. This is a shared focus and we are here to support our foster carers in achieving this.

Time scale from first enquiry to approval is approx 3-6 months

Steps to become a foster carer

1.Make An Enquiry

You can contact us on 02087990930 or complete an online enquiry form. One of our recruitment team members will contact you for an initial discussion. If positive, we will proceed to the next stage of booking you in for a home visit.

2. Initial Home Visit

One of our team members will come to visit you to discuss further about fostering. This is a way of getting to know you and your family better and at the same time, you can get to know about Sunbeam fostering and ask any questions you have. At the visit, you will be asked to sign a declaration form for Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check and provide three forms of ID’s for yourself and anyone that is living with you that is over the age of 18 years old.

3. Application Form

We will ask you to complete an online application form or alternatively you can ask for a hard copy to complete and send back to us. Once completed, a formal assessment will begin.

4.Formal assessment

At this stage, we will allocate a professional and skilled social worker/assessor to begin your ‘Form F’. This involves a review of your suitability to provide foster care. You will receive full support from them at all stages. As part of the process, you will need to provide the following:

  • Reference (personal and employment)
  • Medical report from your GP
  • Consent for other checks with local authority, schools and other agencies.

5. Training

You will be invited to attend a 3-day mandatory training course called ‘Skills to Foster’. Attending this course will give you more of an insight into fostering and this would be an opportunity to meet other foster carers.

6. Panel

Once your formal assessment and training is completed, your assessor/social worker will submit all the information and evidence in the Form F report to an independent panel. We will then invite you to come for panel. Your assessor will accompany you for support. A fostering panel ultimately makes a decision whether or not to recommend you as a foster carer to our fostering agency. They will also recommend an approval age range that is best suited to you.

7. Approval

The agency decision maker will have the final decision in regards to your approval. Once approved you will be a registered carer with Sunbeam Fostering Agency and ready to foster a child.

If you have any questions about fostering or ready to foster, simply click here and get in touch.

We will be happy to assist you and answer your question/s.

Become a Foster Care with us and change children’s future.