Could you be a foster carer? - Hillingdon Council

Do you have a spare room?*
1. Yes
2. No
1. Great! Our foster children need their own private space. You need to be sure that no-one in your extended family - like a grown-up child at university - considers your spare room to be theirs.
1. We can accept applicants who wish to foster a baby , as a baby can share a bedroom with the foster carer (providing baby sleeps in a cot).
Are you over 21?*
1. Yes
2. No
1. Fantastic! You need to be at least 21 to be a foster carer. You might also like to know there’s no upper age limit for being a foster carer, as long as you remain in good health.
1. If you’re approaching your 21st birthday, you can start applying to be a foster carer now.
Do you have the right to live and work in the UK?*
1. Yes
2. No
1. That’s good to know. We will need to see your documentation when you start your application to be a foster carer.
1. Sorry, this means we can’t approve you for fostering. We invest heavily in our foster carers through training and support, and it’s vital we know the foster children in your care will have long-term stability. If your status is pending approval, get in touch with us once you have confirmation.
Have you fostered before or are you currently fostering??*
1. Yes
2. No
1. That’s great! We welcome foster carers who bring skills and expertise. Joining us will give you greater opportunity to grow into your role and explore your potential
1. That’s fine! You don’t have to have experience of fostering to join us. We will train you and support you in your role, and help you gain experience and reach your full potential.
Are you a home owner?*
1. Yes
2. No
1. You don’t have to be a homeowner to foster, though it’s an indicator of how well settled you are.
1. If you’re not a homeowner and you’re renting your home, it won’t prevent you from becoming a foster carer. We will need to get your landlord’s permission, but we find they rarely have an issue with it.
Are you married, or in a civil partnership, part of the LGBTP community?*
1. Yes
2. No
1. You don’t have to be married or in a civil partnership to be a foster carer, but it’s nice to know. If you’re in a same sex relationship, this is fine too - it won’t stop you fostering.
1. Don’t worry. You don’t have to be married or in a civil partnership to become a foster carer. If you’re dating or single, that’s perfectly fine. If you’re LGBT+, that’s fine too.
Do you have pets?*
1. Yes
2. No
1. We’ll do a safety assessment of pets in your home. Please note, if you have dogs requiring registration under the Dangerous Dogs Act, you won’t be approved for fostering.
1. If you consider getting a pet in the future, talk to your supervising social worker, who can advise you.
Do you have a criminal record?*
1. Yes
2. No
1. You won’t be automatically discounted for fostering if you have a criminal record. The best advice is to get in touch and talk it over confidentially with one of our fostering advisers by emailing fosteringrecruitment@hillingdon.gov.uk.
1. If you have no criminal record we will still get you a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and we will pay for this.
Do you have experience working with, or caring for, children? *
1. Yes
2. No
1. Great! You clearly enjoy working with and caring for children and your previous experience will help your application.
1. Not to worry, you will be supported throughout the assessment process by a fostering social worker and have access to 24 hour fostering support via a social worker and be allocated your own fostering social worker once you become a foster carer.
Do you work full time?*
1. Yes
2. No
1. Primary carers must be based at home, either not working or working flexibly on a part-time basis, so they are available for the child and can attend meetings and appointments.
1. Great! Primary carers must be based at home, either not working or working flexibly on a part-time basis, so they are available for the child and can attend meetings and appointments.