Fostering FAQs
Your questions answered
Do I need to have children of my own?
No, but we will look at your previous experience of looking
after children or working with children.
We will assess your parenting skills as part of the application
process. We expect you to have some experience of caring for
children and a good understanding of the energy and commitment you
need to look after a child or young person.
If you do have children, they will play an important role in
making your foster child feel at home.
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Do I have to be married or be with a partner to be a foster
carer?
No, you can foster whether you are sigle, married, living with a
partner, whether you are heterosexual, gay or lesbian.
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Do I have to live in Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington and
Chelsea or Westminster?
No, you don’t have to live in one of the above boroughs but you
do need to live within the Greater London area and have good
transport links to the area. Most of the children you will be
fostering will be at school in one of the three boroughs, and
you will have to attend regular meetings and training at our
offices.
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Can I work and be a foster carer?
Yes, however this will depend on the age of the child you wish
to foster. You need to be a full-time carer for children aged birth
to five. If you are working you can only foster children of school
age. We would need to consider what arrangements you have for
school holidays and taking the child to and from school.
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Will I be paid?
You will be given a professional fostering fee and an allowance
for your foster child's care, when a child is in placement. Please
see “finance sections” (ICON: to finance section)
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Do I have to have training before I can look after a
child?
Yes. You will have to attend a 3 day preparation training before
you can be approved to foster a child. If you are making a joint
application with a partner both of you need to attend the
training.
You will be provided with ongoing training once approved. You
will also be given the opportunity to work towards a Diploma in
Caring for Children and Young People.
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Can a child share a bedroom?
Ideally every foster child would have their own room, but we
recognise that this is not always possible. We do, however, have
the following rules about children sharing rooms:
- birth - two years old can sleep in the carer’s room in a
cot
- no sharing with foster carer’s own children
- two to eight years old of either gender can share if they are
siblings
- nine to 13 years old can share if they are siblings of the same
gender
- if bunk beds are involved, under fives are on the lower bunk
only. Bunk beds are unsuitable for 14-plus years old
- 14 plus years old must have their own room.
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Can I foster if I’m already a childminder?
Yes, you can. However this depends on the age of the child you
wish to foster and your Ofsted approval.
Can I foster for more than one borough?
No, you can only be an approved foster carer for one Fostering
Agency at any one time. However Hammersmith & Fulham,
Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster joined their Fostering and
Adoption Service. Your approval will be with Kensington and
Chelsea, however you will have children placed with you from three
different boroughs.
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Do I have to take a child to school?
Yes you do have to be able to take a child to school, or make
arrangements within your own support network for someone to take
the child to school. This person would need to have a Criminal
Records Bureau Check and be interviewed.
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Can the child change schools and go to one closer to where I
live?
Stability for foster children is very important so we try to
avoid them having to change schools. However, on occasions, and if
the child’s needs allow, children can change school.
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What is permanent fostering?
Some children may need to be looked after permanently without
being legally adopted.
This may be because they are unable to live with their birth
family for practical reasons but wish to remain in close contact
with their parents. In this case we would look for permanent foster
care.
This may not suit people looking to build a family through
adoption. But it may be right for you if your own children have
grown up and left home.
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What sort of checks are carried out on me and my home?
We will carry out a criminal records check as well as checks
with the social services department, the health service, the
education department and a register which lists those prevented
from working with children. We will also need to carry out a
standard safety check on your home. Additionally we ask for
referees and an employment reference.
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Would previous convictions prevent someone from fostering?
A previous criminal conviction does not necessarily disqualify
you from fostering; it will depend upon the nature of your
conviction and when it occurred. This information will remain
confidential at all times.
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Can I choose which age group or gender I would prefer to
foster?
Yes, you can. However, if you are relying on income from
fostering, you are far more likely to have continuous placements if
you are willing to take teenagers as well as younger children, and
if you will accept children of both genders
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How much will I know about the child/young person before they are
placed with me?
We will provide you with as much information about the young
person and their background as possible, before you decide whether
to accept the placement. However some children are placed in an
emergency. In those cases we might not have much information about
the young person prior to placement. We expect our foster carers to
be flexible in those situations.
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Will fostering affect my benefits?
Any payments you receive from fostering are disregarded for
benefits purposes but full details are in the Fostering Network
leaflet “Signposts in Fostering- Benefits”
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Could I foster if I have a disability or long term health
problems?
We do welcome applications from people with disabilities and
health problems. However we do need you to undergo a medical check
from your GP. This will help our medical adviser decide whether
your health or disability would prevent you from being fit enough
to foster.
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I am interested in fostering, how do I find out more?
Call us on Freephone 0800 169 3497 or email us
fostering@rbkc.gov.uk
If you are interested in fostering we will take details from you
and if we feel we should proceed your interest, we would
arrange for a social worker to visit you at home.
This is the first stage of the assessment process and gives you
the opportunity to talk to us about what is involved. It also gives
us a chance to find out more about what you can offer a child or
young person.
The whole process, from when you first contact us, to being
approved to foster a child, usually takes about six months.
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