Becoming a foster carer takes approximately 6 months. The process can seem daunting and includes:
- preparation
- training
- medicals
- references
- home study
- assessment
All these things help to ensure we find carers who meet the needs of children in our care.
Enquiring about foster care
Get in touch with The Fostering Team.
You can complete our online fostering enquiry form or our downloadable fostering enquiry form which you will need to email to us: fostering@york.gov.uk.
We'll send you an information pack, and a social worker will visit you to provide more information and discuss whether fostering is right for you. We'll also tell you how we'll assess you and what training is available.
Initial foster care training
You'll be invited to attend a preparation training course with others who are interested in becoming foster carers. Preparation training takes place over 4 sessions.
These meetings are an essential part of preparing you to be a foster carer and will help you understand more about the needs of the young people who require fostering.
Foster care application and assessment
If you want to proceed, you'll need to complete an application form so we can assess you.
We'll assign you a social worker and start our assessment, which takes between 4 and 6 months.
This will involve:
- your social worker visiting you at home to talk to you and your family
- discussing personal histories, your ability to care for children, and what strengths you can bring to fostering
- attending a medical with your own doctor
- providing 3 personal references
- giving consent for a number of statutory checks to be undertaken, including with your employer and the police
Your social worker will write a report which states how suitable you are to become a foster carer. You have the right to see all of the report, apart from the confidential personal references.
The fostering panel
Your report will be presented to the 'fostering panel', made up of people who have a personal or professional connection with fostering, such as:
- foster carers
- teachers
- social workers
- other independent people
The panel will recommend whether you should be approved as a foster carer. The final decision will be made by a senior Children's Services Manager and you'll receive confirmation in writing.
Once you are approved as a foster carer, a social worker will tell you about the children who need to be fostered.
Foster care - further information
Further information on fostering is availabe from: