Who can foster?

We work with a wonderfully diverse community of foster carers from all over the North East. As a result, we know first-hand that people from lots of different backgrounds make brilliant carers.

Are you curious about whether you could be a foster carer or fostering family? The good news is there are very few barriers to fostering if you want to share your home to shape the lives of young people in our North East communities.

If you have specific questions about your eligibility, this short guide to who can foster is here to bust common myths and misconceptions to show that people who foster are people just like you.

Could you foster? Your questions answered

When you begin to research fostering, we know you might have questions about specific situations or fostering criteria. At the Foster with North East Hub, we're here to help you understand how fostering could work for you.

While every fostering journey is unique, we know that potential foster carers often have questions or concerns about some of these topics before they speak to us and apply to foster:

Fostering age criteria

You must be at least 18 years old to foster.
Some fostering services require you to be at least 21.
There's no upper age limit for fostering.
Your health status, experiences and transferable skills will form part of your assessment.

Fostering and your relationship status

As long as you can support a child or children in your care, your relationship status is not significant.
You can be a great foster carer whether you are married, co-habiting or single.
If you are in a relationship, your social worker will look at its stability as part of your assessment.

Fostering and your sexuality and gender

There are no limitations to fostering based on sexuality and gender.
What is important is that you can meet the needs of a child and provide the support and care they need.

Your parenting experience and fostering

You can foster whether you have previous parenting experience or none
Being childless or having children of your own does not impact your ability to foster.
Children aged 18 or over and still living at home will be included in your assessment checks.
If you have children living elsewhere who are under 18, they may also be part of your assessment.
We will consider young children throughout the proces and involve them an age-appropriate way.

Fostering and your home

You don't need to own your home to foster.
We're looking for foster carers who live in neighbourhoods and communities across the North East.
Whether you own your own home or rent, you can foster providing that you have a stable home.

Fostering and working

We have foster carers who work in other jobs.
You will explore how fostering could work for your circumstances in your assessment.
You may be able to foster and work in another job.
When applying as a couple, some people choose to change their current work status to suit the new family arrangements.

Fostering and your culture

Within fostering you can be any race or have any cultural background.
We need and welcome potential foster carers from all cultural backgrounds.
You will be able to communicate in English in order to meet the needs of the child.
You will work closely with other professionals invested in a child's care.

Fostering with minor criminal offences

Minor offences should not count against you when you apply to foster
You will be asked to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
It will highlight any criminal conviction that would make you unable to foster.
If you have any concerns we will be able to advise you and put your mind at rest.

Want to know how fostering could work for you? Hear from our fantastic foster carer community!

Hear how people like you tackled different queries and situations and are now shaping futures as part of the North East council fostering community by reading foster carer stories.

Do you have a question about whether you can foster?

The Foster with North East hub is here to support you with any questions you have about your eligibility to become a foster carer. You make no commitment when you enquire and you'll speak to one of our fostering experts who can chat to you about anything you're worried could be a hurdle to fostering. We can also answer your questions about how the process works. You can also ask to be matched with a foster buddy through our foster parent mentoring programme.

Enquire now or call 0800 917 7771 to speak to us.

Get a fostering information pack

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