Common Questions

Yes. You will need to consider arrangements for school hours and school holidays. If you are fostering children under age 5 or on a specialist scheme, we require one carer to be home during the day.

You must have a spare bedroom. Foster children should have a separate bedroom from your own children. If you are fostering siblings or children under 5 of the same sex, then they may be able to share a bedroom. We advise that you have separate bedrooms for each child. This gives your own child or the foster child their own space. Babies can sleep in the foster carer’s room, but a spare bedroom will be required by the time the child is 18 months old.

We will provide a fostering allowance to help cover the costs of caring for the child. As you develop your career in fostering, you will also receive a carer’s payment.

Yes. You can decide what age range of child will fit into your family. You can request to change this age range or gender if your circumstances change. We recommend that you foster children who are younger than your eldest child. If you work full-time or smoke, we recommend that you foster school-age children.

The assessment takes at least 6 months. Most people could be approved as foster carers within 12 months from their first enquiry.

Becoming a foster carer involves a detailed and in-depth assessment to see if fostering is right for you. We need to carry out background checks to assess whether children would be safe in your care. We also want to get to know you because we want fostering to be successful and rewarding for you, your family and the children in your care.

Fostering with your local Council gives you the chance to help local children. Help them to stay in their local area and local schools. With support and training on your doorstep and an experienced team nearby.

The children who need fostering will be in the age band and gender you have specified, but they are all very different. Some may come from an abusive background, they may have been neglected or their parents may have struggled to care for them or keep them safe. Some families don’t have a support network in times of need or ill health, and the child may need to be looked after while problems are resolved or health is improved.

When it is considered safe to do so, parents will be told where their children are living.

Yes, it’s a step by step process. We want you to be confident and ready to foster. There will be plenty of opportunities along the way to discuss anything you are worried about and decide if you want to continue to the next stage.

We are a friendly experienced team, with support and training on your doorstep. Over 120 local families have chosen to foster with us, and continue fostering with us for many years.

As the local authority we have responsibility for all of the children in foster care and we make the placements (decide where the child will be fostered). Children in foster care will have their own local authority social worker, no matter who you foster with. We are based in Flint, alongside the child’s social workers – one team under the same roof.

If you currently foster for another fostering service, please contact us for a chat about transferring to the local authority. Many independent agency foster carers have successfully transferred to foster with us.

We are for the children, not for profit.