Fostering is about being able to respond to a child and helping them to thrive. It’s about providing a loving, safe and caring home for a child who needs one. In order for us to ensure that the children and young people are safe and secure, however, it is very important that our foster carers meet a number of requirements.

Register your interest in fostering

Do you meet the requirements to become a Foster Carer?

Ages to foster - you must be 21 to be considered suitable to foster, there is no upper age limit and as long as you’re fit and healthy you may apply. 

You should have a good level of spoken and written English, due to training, keeping written records, and attending meetings.

Ideally, you will have a spare room or capacity to add one in the future.

If you have any previous offences, we have to consider the nature, length of time and lifestyle changes since the offences were committed.

You will need to be available for a fostering assessment to take place. You need to be able to attend training and meet with your social worker regularly. It takes 4 to 6 months for the assessment to be completed.

You must be financially stable, we have a duty of care to you and you need to be in a stable position financially, we would not proceed with people who have significant outstanding debts, talk to us if you are not sure.