Our frequently asked fostering questions and answers.
Yes. In fact, some young people will be matched with you because you have pets. Animals, particularly cats and dogs, can act as a great ice breaker, especially on that first day when you and the child might be feeling nervous about them being in your home. Having an animal that could pose a risk to a child or young person would prevent you from fostering. For example, dog breeds that are banned within the UK.
Yes, we need foster carers from different backgrounds, cultures and religions to match children with their cultural and religious needs.
It depends on the criminal record. If it was something like stealing a car and it was some time ago, you could now be an excellent role model. Don’t let a criminal record put you off speaking to us as you may have lots to offer a young person.
Yes. We just need confirmation from the property owner to say that they are happy for you to foster in their property.
This depends on the area you live in. If you are in a very rural area this could cause a problem but if you live in a city, driving might not be necessary.
We encourage you to take your foster child on holiday with you so that they really feel part of the family, but we also understand you might need a break from fostering. You’ll receive 14 days of paid respite a year when you foster with Nexus Fostering.
You need to have indefinite leave to remain in the UK or be a full-time UK resident.
Fostering when you have your own family can be a rewarding experience for everyone involved, and allow your children to learn about different cultures and ways of life.
As well as support for foster carers, birth children of Nexus Fostering foster carers are also well supported and listened to. They have access to support groups, forums, and direct support from our team and are invited to the many fun family events run throughout the year.
We understand that it can be hard when forming a great relationship with the child or young person in your care, but the fact that they are ready to go shows that you have been very successful as a foster carer.
Nexus Fostering will support you every step of the way, we can put you in touch with carers who have experienced this, and as part of our continued training and support, we offer attachment training, as we know how difficult this can be.
When you foster, your fostering allowance isn’t classed as income for the purpose of calculating benefits which include income support, working tax credits, child tax credits, housing benefits, council tax reduction and universal credit.
No. Fostering is a way of offering children a stable family home when their own family is unable to care for them. Fostering is often temporary, and foster carers do not have parental responsibility for the child they care for, as this lies with the local authority. Adoption is a permanent legal arrangement which results in the adopters having full parental responsibility for the children they have adopted.
Generally, the process takes between 4 and 5 months, but we are dependent on other organisations providing us with references and your GP will undertake your medical assessment, so this can affect the timescales. As the process starts, you will be allocated your own social worker who will be with you and complete your ‘Form F’ assessment document. View the fostering process video.
Yes, if you have the space, time, and energy to do so. If you have more than one spare bedroom fostering sibling groups could work well for you.
Yes. The matching process is important for you and for the child or young person referred to us. We match, carefully, your personalities, skills, and circumstances with those of the child or young person. We will discuss this with you, fully, during your assessment
We prefer foster carers to have an open mind about the age groups as it provides carers with a lot more opportunities to care for children. We encourage foster carers to focus on the needs of the child, not their age and then decide if they're able to help them.
You will have a dedicated assessor who will visit and support you throughout the process. Various checks including the referee, medical and a DBS will be completed, and you are required to attend a Skills to Foster training course.
Lizzie, 62, began her fostering journey as a registered childminder 35 years ago. During this time Lizzie was approached to take on 2 little ones, and she said yes. Lizzie quickly discovered that fostering was her passion. After opening their home to over 300 children between them, Lizzie says, "from respite, emergency, short term to long term placements, we have experienced it all."
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