Becoming a
Foster Carer
Interested in becoming a foster carer?
How to Start Your Journey
One of the most rewarding things you can make in life is a difference. As a Foster Carer with Progress, you’ll be doing that every day. You don’t need any particular qualifications or experience to apply. The most important things you can possess are patience and the desire to change a young person’s life for the better.
If you have those, becoming a Foster Carer isn’t as complicated as you might think. We’ve broken the process down into six simple steps.
The 6 steps to becoming a foster carer
STEP 01
Enquiry & Visit Request
Use our enquiry form to contact us. Once we’ve received your enquiry we’ll send you an information pack, and a member of the Progress team will contact you to discuss the process.
STEP 02
Initial Visit
This can be in person or virtual, we want to make this as easy as possible for you. The purpose of the initial visit is to learn more about you, your family and your home. It’s also an opportunity for you to ask us questions in person. If you’re happy to proceed, we’ll complete the paperwork required to get the process started. If you need support we can assist, with someone ready to help you to complete the application form.
STEP 03
Skills to Foster & Form F
You’ll be invited to attend a mandatory Skills to Foster training course that provides important information and will give you an insight into what to expect as a foster carer. Once you’ve successfully completed the course, you’ll be allocated a Social Worker who will begin your Form F Assessment. This is an in-depth information-gathering process that will be submitted to an independent Fostering Panel.
During your assessment there will be an opportunity to gain experience of working with children. This will give you a realistic overview of what it is like to be a foster carer. We will provide you with a supportive forum where you will have the opportunity to meet other applicants in assessment, share your experiences, gain confidence and also meet some of our existing carers. Our desire is to offer you a realistic view of fostering and connection with the Progress Fostering team from the very start of your journey.
STEP 04
Fostering Panel
Along with your Social Worker, you’ll be invited to attend the Fostering Panel, who will assess your suitability and make a recommendation of your approval.
STEP 05
Progress Induction
Once approved by the panel, you’ll be allocated a Supervising Social Worker. You will then undertake an induction to provide you with the resources available to begin your role as a Foster Carer with Progress.
STEP 06
Preparing For Your First Foster Child
Progress will notify all the Local Authorities in your area that you have been approved as a foster carer and are available to offer a home to a child. We’ll then work closely with you to match you to and plan for your first placement.
Progress will provide you with a professional career path with full training and support to build your Fostering skills and continue your development in a range of areas.
“It’s been brilliant, you don’t realise that they are ticking things off as you go along”
Trina – Foster Carer
Fostering FAQ's
If you’re thinking about becoming a Foster Carer, you’re likely to have lots of questions. To help you, we’ve created a list of our most frequently asked questions below – you can click on each question to open it and find out more information. To see more, visit our dedicated Fostering FAQs page.
A ‘specialist foster carer’ is a term used to describe someone who cares for a child with one or more of the following issues:
- Learning disabilities, Physical disabilities and other medical conditions
- Children with poor mental health
- Children who are vulnerable to sexual exploitation
- Children who display emotional and behavioural difficulties
Progress welcomes professionals from the health and social care sector who can offer specialist care because of their professional experience.
Many of our current specialist foster carers did not have the skills and experience initially. Progress will offer the right training programmes and support to enable you to improve and widen your skills so that you can offer specialist care.
Following your enquiry and successful home visit, you have the opportunity to make an application to enter fostering assessment. The length of the fostering assessment is completely dependent on you and how flexible you can be in terms of attending foster carer training, your availability for the social worked led assessment sessions and your background checks. We normally plan for your fostering assessment to take 4 months, with you attending your fostering panel at the end of this time. The maximum an assessment can take is 8 months.
Yes. Progress pay a very competitive package for each child placed with you. The amount varies dependent on the age and skills required for each child. Specialist care attracts a higher reward due to the additional demands of the child. Children who have additional needs also have allocated support packages in addition to their monthly maintenance payment.
This will depend on your individual circumstances, the type of fostering you wish to consider and the flexibility your employment can offer. Specialist foster care requires at least one full-time carer at home. All types of foster care require you to transport a child to and from school and to attend various meetings with professionals. If you’re unsure, contact us for a more in-depth discussion.
As a foster carer, you are self-employed. Foster carers benefit from generous tax relief. During the assessment process, you would still be entitled to benefits but would need to continue looking for employment if this is a requirement of the job-centre.
No. The only requirement for becoming a foster carer is that you have a spare bedroom. However, if you are renting a property we require written permission from your landlord giving permission to foster in their property.
It is not essential to have parenting skills prior to becoming a foster carer. However, knowledge and experience of looking after children will need to be proven during the assessment process and this can be evidenced if you have previously worked with children or have a wide range of experience in caring for family members. Progress can also offer extensive training in order for you to up-skill in areas that may be required.
Latest Fostering News
When Sue talks about the two brothers who came into her life nearly ten years ago, she starts not with paperwork or planning, but with instinct. She remembers meeting the older brother for the first time and sensing something she still cannot quite name. A spark. A warmth. A boldness that made him feel familiar…
Our very first Facebook Live event on fostering took place recently and it quickly became a warm, open and informative session. Michelle, our Fostering Manager, and Kirsty, our Relationship Manager, led the conversation. Together, they walked viewers through the essentials of fostering and answered many of the questions we are often asked by people considering…
The fostering team’s duo of Carla and Jo was recognised for its outstanding contribution to the organisation, winning the prestigious Making a Difference Award at this year’s Progress Annual Superstar Awards. The award was presented to Carla and Jo for their exceptional impact on Progress foster carers and the wider Progress social work team. Presenting the award,…
When children come into care, they often lose so much at once. Their home, their daily routines, sometimes even their sense of who they are. In the middle of that upheaval, one relationship can make all the difference: the bond they share with their brothers and sisters. Carla, who works therapeutically with children and foster…
When you choose to foster, you open your home and heart to a child who needs you. At Progress we know that caring for others takes strength, patience and a lot of energy. That is why we believe it is just as important to look after you. One of the ways we do this is…
“We’d got into a rut,” Sylvia reflects. “You get older, you’re on your iPad and he’s on his. Fostering pulled us back together. We’ve had to work as a team again.” When Sylvia first thought about fostering, she was barely 18. Life carried her in different directions, but the idea never really went away. Years…
This month, our foster carer in the spotlight is Linda. Watch her videos here. “Linda has been a foster carer with us for over 10 years,” says Progress Fostering Manager, Michelle Earp. “Throughout that time, she has given her young person, placed with her at just five years old, an incredible sense of stability and…
For many families, the start of a new school year carries a mix of excitement and nerves. Fresh uniforms, sharpened pencils and the promise of a new chapter can be uplifting. Yet for families of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), that transition often feels heavier. The return to structure, new classrooms, unfamiliar…
Fostering can be one of the most rewarding things you ever do, but let’s be honest, it’s not always easy. When people ask, “What’s the hardest part of fostering?”, there’s no single answer. Every carer, child, and situation is different. But there are a few common challenges that many foster carers experience, especially in those…
When people talk about fostering, they usually mean something very simple but powerful. It is about opening your home to care for a child or young person who, for one reason or another, cannot live with their own family. But fostering is much more than just offering a bed and meals. It is about giving…
Can I foster and work full-time? One of the most common concerns people have when thinking about fostering is how it fits around work. Many people ask, “Can I foster and still keep my full-time job?” The answer is yes, it is possible, but it depends on a few key factors. It depends on the…
Progress has earned top marks from Ofsted, proving once again that outstanding care changes lives. Progress Fostering Service has officially maintained its Outstanding rating by Ofsted following its latest inspection, a recognition that reinforces the agency’s longstanding commitment to delivering exceptional care and support to children and young people. The inspection, conducted from 24 to 28 February…