Fostering
If you have time and space in your heart and home, become a foster carer for Redbridge Council
"He just needed the stability... nothing fancy, but just needed the stability of a loving home life to really fly"
Abi and Simon, Redbridge Foster Carers
Want to find out more?
Get in touch:
- if you’re free now, why not give us a call on 0208 708 6068 to find out more about fostering and ask us any questions you may have
- Redbridge Fostering Team are part of the Local Community Fostering Service - a network of four northeast London boroughs with an ambition to inspire more people from all walks of life, to become foster carers. If you would one of our team to call you for an open and honest chat about fostering, please visit Local Community Fostering website to complete a short form and we will be in touch.
- Keep up to date by following Redbridge Fostering on Facebook
- join us on our next virtual information session, which is online, via Microsoft Teams at 10am until 11am on Friday 17 October 2025. Click here to book a place:
Book now for 17 October
Why foster for Redbridge Council?
Being a foster carer is extremely rewarding, not only will you have the opportunity to make a real difference in a child or young person's life but you will also have a sense of fulfillment and purpose. Being a foster carer has its challenges, but the joy and satisfaction far outweigh the challenges you may experience along the way.
When a child needs to spend time in foster care, our foster carers welcome the child or children into their homes. Our foster carers are emotionally and physically available to the children at all times and provide safe, loving and stable environments. By offering this, our foster carers help to break the cycle of abuse or neglect and help the children to rebuild their sense of self-worth so that they can thrive and become happy, healthy adults.
Our foster carers treat the children as they would their own children, making them feel that they truly belong, regardless of whether the child needs to stay in foster care for a night, a weekend, two weeks, two years or until they are 18 and beyond.
Take a look at one of our amazing Redbridge foster carers of 24 years and her fostered child who were recently interviewed on BBC News and London Live and who also featured in Children and Young People Now, sharing how fostering has enriched and changed both of their lives:
When a child in Redbridge needs to spend some time in foster care, the child's social worker will send a referral to our team and we will contact our Redbridge Council foster carers to see if they are able to welcome the child into their care.
If our foster carers are unable to welcome the child (mainly due to them already having children in their care and no space for additional children), we will then contact an Independent Fostering Agency (IFA) to see if they are able to place the child with one of their foster carers. Wherever possible, we try not to do this. We know our foster carers extremely well and know the incredible care they will provide to a child. We also understand which foster carer would be a good match for the child needing to spend time in foster care.
There is very close communication between Redbridge fostering supervising social workers (who support our foster carers) and the children’s social workers for a truly holistic approach for our children in care. Also, if we need to place a child with an IFA, we need to pay the IFA commission fees on top of the foster carers allowance which costs the Council more money.
We pride ourselves in the diversity and true sense of community of our foster carers and are looking for carers from a variety of backgrounds regardless of age, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, marital or employment status.
With our increased allowances and specialist fostering pathways, there has never been a better time to join our team of foster carers and provide a safe, stable and nurturing environment to a baby, child or young person that they can call home.
Get in touch:
- call us on 0208 708 6068 to find out more about fostering and ask us any questions you may have
- visit Local Community Fostering website to complete a short form and we will be in touch
- Keep up to date by following Redbridge Fostering on Facebook
- join us on our next virtual information session, click here to book a place:
Book a place on our next virtual information session
Who can foster?
Many people believe they need to possess exceptional skills and knowledge to become a foster carer. This is not true. It is the everyday qualities that make the biggest difference to a child. Having the time and availability to welcome a child into your home; the skills to listen and observe the child to see what they really need; the love to care for a child; the stability of a family home to enable them to thrive; the ability to speak up for the children you care for.
Please take a look at our criteria below to see whether you would be considered eligible to foster for Redbridge Council:
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The time and availability to care for a child
Fostering is very rewarding, but it also requires time, commitment, empathy, patience and skill.
Aside from personal qualities, there are also practical aspects – such as school drop-offs, supporting the child to see their family, training, meetings and medical appointments. Having the time and availability to dedicate yourself to fostering is essential.
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Aged 21 or older
Being aged 21 or over will ensure that you have the life experience and are emotionally available to fully care for a child or young person. It also helps to ensure that there is a sufficient age gap between older children and yourself.
However, there is no upper age limit! As long as you are physically fit enough and have the energy and capacity to make a difference to young people’s lives, it is never too late to start your fostering journey.
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A spare room (or space in your bedroom for a cot for a child up to the age of 3)
Any young person you’re fostering needs their own bedroom.
Although many of us grew up sharing a bedroom with others, young people in foster care need their own bedroom and a private space where they can be alone, should they want to.
Some siblings are able to share a bedroom and this will be discussed with you when the children need to be placed in foster care.
If you are looking to care for a baby who is under 3, you are able to have the baby in a cot in your bedroom, providing there is space in your bedroom.
If you are renting, you need to have the permission of your landlord to be able to foster. You cannot foster whilst in temporary accommodation or if you have lodgers or overseas students.
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Financial stability
We need to ensure that you live within your means as fostering shouldn’t put you in a place of financial insecurity.
You receive a fostering allowance when children are placed in your care so need to consider and ensure that you have financial stability when children are not in your care.
Foster carers are self employed and complete a self assessment tax return each year. There is additional tax relief for foster carers.
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You and any household members must not have a criminal record which poses a risk to a child
Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from becoming a foster carer. It depends on the kind of offences and the context (for example, how long ago it was, how old you were, what was happening in your life at the time). This should be discussed with the social worker as soon as possible so that further discussions can be held.
Whilst having a criminal record doesn’t necessarily exclude you, if you or anybody in your household has violent offences or offences against children, you will be unable to be considered as a foster carer.
If you are unsure whether your record is likely to affect your application to become a foster carer, you can always talk to one of our team.
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To be able to communicate well in English
Fostering involves attending meetings where the needs of the child are discussed. As foster carers you will be strong advocates for the child in your care and will need to be able to fully communicate and understand the needs of the child in your care and be able to communicate this to professionals.
Fostering also involves reading and writing as foster carers need to write daily records once a child is in their care.
It is a huge benefit for our foster carers to speak additional languages and many of our foster carers speak multiple languages, we just need you to be able to communicate well in English.
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You are eligible to remain in the UK for at least three years
You do not need to be a UK citizen to become a foster carer but you do need to be a permanent resident, have indefinite leave to remain or at least three years leave to remain. If there is a risk of deportation or your leave expiring, we would not be able to consider you to foster because of the effects on the child in your care if you had to leave the UK.
Support, training and benefits
We offer our carers a variety of support throughout their fostering career, including a dedicated Supervising Social Worker who can be contacted whenever you need additional support.
We are committed to providing our foster carers with excellent support and high levels of training to enhance and develop the foster carers skills and knowledge as well as support foster carers practice and in doing so, aiding the outcomes for our children in care.
As you are approved to foster, you will complete a Training, Support and Development Standards Portfolio (TSDS). This will require completion in your first year of fostering and is a mandatory requirement for all foster carers in the UK. Training and support will be provided to assist you in completing this portfolio.
We have an annual training programme dedicated to newly approved foster carers which takes place virtually, on Microsoft Teams, once a month and is a great opportunity to meet other new carers, have a forum to discuss and share experiences as well as enhancing your knowledge and skills in particular subject areas, such as managing challenging behaviour.
Our foster carers have access to training on childhood trauma to enable them to understand what influences how a child may think or act. This therapeutic, trauma informed approach, helps our carers to respond with the right techniques which helps children to develop positive behaviours, attitudes and patterns.
Our foster carers also have access to an annual training programme with hundreds of courses, many of which are delivered online to help carers to complete the courses which would benefit them in their own time. We also run virtual and face to face courses for those who prefer to attend training in person.
Specialist foster carers who are caring for children who require a higher level of support are able to access a package of specialist training to fully support the children in their care.
Additional support includes:
- 24 hour access to support through the foster carer' s dedicated Supervising Social Worker or from the Emergency Duty Team outside of office hours
- we offer new carers a fostering buddy for their first year of approval
- monthly support groups for peer support from other foster carers
- male foster carers support group
- events run throughout the year to meet other foster carers
- Foster Carers Association - run by foster carers for foster carers
- membership to The Fostering Network, an independent organisation, which our foster carers can contact for further fostering support or independent advice
- support from a clinical psychologist
- we are always talking to our current foster carers and are open to ideas about redesigning our support and training services to ensure that they are what foster carers want
Benefits
Whilst money is not everything, we are committed to ensuring that our foster carers are paid enough to cover the costs involved in looking after a child:- you could receive between £369.96 and £550.48 per child, per week. The exact amount paid to each foster carer is calculated on an individual basis according to the age of the child
- we offer between £649.96 and £820.48 per child per week for foster carers who are caring for children or young people requiring a high level of care which include those who have a severe or profound disability, severe mental health needs or those with highly challenging behaviour, contextual safeguarding issues or if alternatively needing to be placed in a secure unit or residential care. An additional care package may also be available
- we offer £1000 for parent and child placements and if the child or young person in the placement is a looked after by the Local Authority, the foster carer would also receive an additional allowance for the child or young person
- we offer between £799.96 and £1130.48 per child per week for foster carers who care for children or young people who have been in residential accommodation and who are moving into foster care
- we have the Mockingbird scheme, an extended family model, where carers and children regularly meet and where meaningful relationships within the group develop. Mockingbird provides additional support for our foster carers and the children in their care
- there is a training bonus scheme depending on the level of training completed following on from your first year as a foster carer up to £200 per year
- we offer our foster carers a 60% council tax discount, rising to an 80% council tax discount if occupancy conditions are met
- there are additional allowances for:
- Christmas or the festival celebrated by the child
- the child's birthday
- a holiday allowance before the summer holiday
- we offer a uniform allowance for school age children
- there are allowances for bedroom furniture provided for the child or children being looked after
- we pay a £1000 referral fee when our foster carers refer a friend or family member and they are successfully approved to foster
Get in touch:
- call us on 0208 708 6068 to find out more about fostering and ask us any questions you may have
- visit Local Community Fostering website to complete a short form and we will be in touch
- Keep up to date by following Redbridge Fostering on Facebook
- join us on our next virtual information session, click here to book a place:
Book a place on our next virtual information session
Information Sessions and events
We hold information sessions and information coffee mornings throughout the year for people interested in finding out more about fostering for Redbridge Council as well as attend various events in the community.
Our information sessions give an overview of fostering, different types of fostering arrangements, what fostering for Redbridge is like and gives you a chance to speak with a fostering social worker and a foster carer in an informal setting and ask any questions that you may have.
For more information on our upcoming events and to book a place to attend, click on the relevant 'Book Now' button below:
| Date | Time | Link to book a place |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 17 October 2025 | 10am to 11am | Book now for 17 October |
| Tuesday 4 November 2025 | 6pm to 7pm | Book now for 4 November |
| Friday 21 November 2025 | 10am to 11am |
Different types of foster care
Children come into foster care from many different situations and with different needs. There are many different roles provided by foster carers and you can find out what each one involves below. You may wish to be approved for several of the below and can discuss this throughout your assessment:
Short Term Fostering
Most of the time children are placed with carers with the intention to rehabilitate them with their families as soon as possible. A child placed in short term care may be as a result of a parent’s illness or an inability to cope at the time due to difficulties and pressures they are currently experiencing.
Social workers will be working with the family to try and assist the family to ensure that the family can be together again. You as a foster parent will play a key role in this as you will provide contact, giving the child the opportunity to see their family on a regular basis. Contact may be at your home or at a venue agreed by the child’s social worker. A short term placement can be anything up to 2 years.
Long Term Fostering
If it has been decided that it is not appropriate for a child/ children to be returned to their family, a longer term placement is required.
In most cases, the child/children will still have arranged contact with their family however the frequency and arrangements will be determined by the child’s social worker.
A permanent home for a fostered child will give them stability and make them feel that they are part of a family. This will give them the opportunity they need to grow and to develop to achieve their full potential. The expectation is that the child becomes a member of your family beyond their childhood years.
Specialist Fostering Pathways
Redbridge Council have introduced three specialist fostering pathways. Please take a look at our video to find out more:
Specialist Fostering Pathway - The Specialist Pathway
This pathway is for foster carers who care for children and young people who have either severe social, emotional or mental health needs; a severe or profound disability; contextual safeguarding issues or who may otherwise be placed in a secure unit or residential accommodation.
Specialist Fostering Pathway - Parent and Child
Sometimes concerns are identified about a parent’s ability to provide ‘good enough’ care for their baby. In such circumstances, foster parents may be asked to provide a foster placement for both the parent and the baby.
These can be challenging, but rewarding placements where foster parents support a young person to care for their baby, by teaching them how to parent and care safely for their child in your own home.
Specialist Fostering Pathway - Residential Step Down
Some young people who are currently placed in a residential setting would be far better suited to staying in a family home and this pathway is designed to support foster carers who are enabling young people to transition from a residential care setting to the foster carer's family home.
This can drastically change the young people's lives. It gives them the opportunity to be placed in a family setting; to experience family relationships and to be part of a family and an extended family.
Fostering Teenagers
Teenage years can be a difficult time for all young people as they try to become more independent and make sense of their world. For young people who have gone through particularly distressing and traumatic events during their childhood, it can be a very unsettling time. This is a critical stage in a young person’s life and they need appropriate support and guidance. Without this support and guidance, there is a risk that they may display behaviour and enter into anti-social lifestyles that could seriously affect their future.
We are looking for foster parents who can be tolerant, patient and flexible but who can also set clear and consistent boundaries, so young people know where they stand and what is expected of them. You need to ‘actively’ listen, and help the young person make sense of their world. You will let them know they’ve got someone who they can talk to who really cares about them.
Foster parents for teenagers need particular skills to carry out what can be a very varied and challenging job, and receive a higher allowance in return.
Fostering Siblings
Leaving your family to live with a foster parent is a daunting enough experience for any child or young person, but when it also means that you have to be separated from your brothers and sisters, then the experience is all the more upsetting and unsettling. This is why we are always keen to actively recruit foster parents who can help us to keep brothers and sisters together in one foster family.
Caring for sibling groups requires flexible, energetic, organised carers with good support from family and friends and of course plenty of space at home.
Emergency Fostering
Some carers offer emergency care, which may mean a child is placed with them out of office hours by the Emergency Duty Team, occasionally in the middle of the night. Emergency foster care is most frequently used in a crisis situation. Plans will be made regarding the child’s situation on the next working day.
Short Break Care
A short break foster placement can offer support to a foster carer who may need a break. The main foster carer may be unable to take the child away on holiday and so short break care could also be offered for this period. Short break care may also be offered to support a family at crisis point. Short break foster placements might be for a weekend or a week in the holidays but can last up to 21 days. If you are only able to offer limited periods of time to fostering, then being a short break foster carer could be a good option.
Shared Care
Disability affects children, some are very mild and others are more severe. Disabled children ranging from babies to teenagers may be placed with foster parents. For some families with disabled children, there might be a need for the child to be placed regularly with foster parents for a few days each week, or each month, to help support the family, enabling them to take a break.
A shared care arrangement is usually regular care for the same child or children on weekends, bi-monthly or monthly to give the main carer a break. If you are only able to offer limited periods of time to fostering, then being a shared carer foster carer could be a good option.
Get in touch:
- call us on 0208 708 6068 to find out more about fostering and ask us any questions you may have
- visit Local Community Fostering website to complete a short form and we will be in touch
- Keep up to date by following Redbridge Fostering on Facebook
- join us on our next virtual information session, click here to book a place:
Book a place on our next virtual information session
Hear from our foster carers
Redbridge foster carers share what it like to foster for Redbridge:
Tracy and Yunus
Tracy and Yunus foster alongside their three children. They explain what it is like to foster as a family:
Abi and Simon
Abi and Simon share the moment they really knew that they had made a difference to a child's life:
Lorina
Lorina fosters alongside her adult son and shares how she decided to change her career to foster and has never looked back!
Testimonials
Tracy and Wayne
Tracy, 56 and husband Wayne, 56, foster for Redbridge Council. They have been fostering for 7 years and during that time have cared for many children. Some children have stayed for a short time, others longer. Tracy and Wayne are Hub Home Carers for the Mockingbird Programme and support many other carers and children within the programme, arranging regular activities and providing sleepovers and days out for the children within the Mockingbird:
“We decided to foster because we wanted to make a difference in children's and young people's lives. Every child matters and we wanted to become part of the solution for children and young people who for whatever reason were and are unable to live at home with their parents.
The thing I love most about fostering is seeing the progress children and young people make during the time they are with us. From surviving to thriving.
The best experience to date has been seeing a child in our care go from not being able to read any words to, over a relatively short space of time, being able to read words and books and now enjoy reading. Seeing this child progress academically due to having the head space and nurture to learn has been amazing and a delight to watch.
We feel very supported by Redbridge through our social worker and also the children's social worker and the wider fostering team. The training courses available are varied and relevant and the service are very open to recommendations for courses to support our roles as foster carers.
We had no idea what fostering would be like but we pushed the door to enquire and, as they say, the rest is history as momentum picked up and we went through the assessment process to become foster carers.
There is nothing that can really prepare you for the first child that comes into your home, but you soon learn, make adjustments and navigate your way. It really is a rewarding job, tough at times, but that is all outweighed by the difference you see in a child over time.
I wish I was told what fun fostering is and the community you feel when meeting with other foster carers for support, friendship and advice. You really aren't on your own.”
Sarah and Kazim
Sarah, 51, and her husband Kazim, 57, have been changing children’s lives for the past 17 years whilst fostering for Redbridge Council. They are specialist foster carers and in that time, they have had 4 children stay with them on a long term arrangement and have also cared for a baby until they returned to the birth family.
“I love watching the difference I can make to a child. I love watching them succeed in life and to know I have made a difference to their life”.
Sarah’s longest foster child who is currently studying to become a Doctor at medical school and states that “Without all your love and support, I’d never be where I am today”.
Sarah says “I chose to foster as I always wanted to give children less fortunate than me a great life.
The support I have got from the fostering team has been nothing but amazing. I am lucky to have a great Supervising Social Worker who always supports me. Training has always been available and I do a lot online.
Fostering is full time. You have to be strong. You don’t always know much about the child. Initiative is key, treat them like family, set boundaries and most importantly love and praise the children.”
Savita
Savita, 68, is a single carer and has been a specialist foster carer for Redbridge for 6 years.
"After retiring from the corporate world, I decided to embark on a new journey… to give something back to the community. I was determined to become a foster carer, an advocate for children and work closely with the local council. To be able to support children and young persons who needed help and guidance in order for them to achieve their potential, as well as provide a safe and warm environment.
Helping to support a child with global learning disabilities, was amazingly rewarding for both of us. I could empathise with the young person and we had a friendly, warm relationship with lots of humour from both sides!
Redbridge provide excellent training which has really helped throughout the last year or so; gaining and sharing ideas, discussions and pointers on how to deal with situations when they arise. Support has been good, initially quite baffling working with all the team supporting the child, but once you get into a routine, it’s part and parcel of the job. "
A young person who has respite care with Savita regularly says: “This is my holiday home. I have the best time ever and can’t wait to be back”.
Like all of our Redbridge foster carers, you too could quite literally change a child’s life.
Get in touch:
- call us on 0208 708 6068 to find out more about fostering and ask us any questions you may have
- visit Local Community Fostering website to complete a short form and we will be in touch
- Keep up to date by following Redbridge Fostering on Facebook
- join us on our next virtual information session, click here to book a place:
Book a place on our next virtual information session
The process
It's great that you are interested in becoming a foster carer!
If you feel ready to start an application, then the steps below will show you what to expect. Please see the stages below detailing the stages in the process.
If you are not yet sure if you would like to apply but have questions, then please contact us or book onto our next event to find out more information and ask any questions that you have.
Step 1: Enquiry
If you feel that you are the right person to transform a child’s life and want to know more, give us a call on 0208 708 6068 between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. One of the Local Community Fostering team will have a conversation with you on the phone to find out more about you and your circumstances and whether you might be a suitable foster carer.
Step 2: Home visit
After your telephone enquiry, you’ve decided you want to hear more and one of our team at Redbridge Council Fostering Team will come to visit you at home. We will look around your home to check that your home is suitable for fostering and talk to you in more detail about your desire to foster. If you have a partner, it is important they are present for the home visit, as it is important that your whole household agree that fostering is a good idea.
The home visit will take about two hours and we will discuss the age range of children that you would best be able to support. We will discuss how fostering would fit into your current lifestyle.
Step 3: Skills to foster training
Before we begin the formal assessment process, we want to make sure that we arm you with enough information for you to make sure that this is the right path for you, so you will be invited to a 2 day compulsory training course. This course takes place virtually via Microsoft Teams. We run our Skills to Foster Training courses monthly, generally on a Monday and Tuesday between 10am and 3pm on both days.
If you work, ask your employer if they are a foster friendly organisation. Many companies are! If they are, they will allow you additional leave from work to attend the Skills to Foster Training course.
The training course covers the role of a foster carer; the importance of understanding a child and where they come from; working with birth families and professionals; keeping children safe and helping children to move on.
Following this course, a joint decision will be made by the trainers and you to see if fostering is right for you. If you are ready to become a foster carer, you will complete an application form and move on to the formal assessment process.
Step 4: The assessment
The fostering assessment usually takes between three to six months to complete, from when you begin your application to when you are approved as a foster carer. We appreciate that this is a long time, but it is very important that we are as thorough as possible when making decisions about who is suitable to look after our most vulnerable children.
The assessment is divided into two stages which usually run alongside each other.
Stage one is all of the checks which we are required, which include:
- DBS (police checks) on all living in the household over the age of 17 as well as those who will support you with your fostering journey
- medical reports are completed by your GP and sent to our Medical Adviser to advise if you are "fit to foster"
- Local Authority checks are completed on your current address and previous addresses you have lived in the last 10 years
- Ofsted check
- Education references from the schools or colleges your children attend
- Personal references from both family and friends who have known you for 2 years or more and can provide a character reference. We need 3 references if you are single and 6 if in a partnership.
- Current and previous employment references. We obtain employment references from the past 10 years but would like to obtain references from any previous employers or voluntary organisations where you have worked with children or vulnerable adults to support your application.
- If you are already a foster carer, transferring to us, we would complete a file read and obtain a reference from your current fostering agency
We will regularly update you on the checks being undertaken.
Stage two is the fostering assessment. The fostering assessment is when an Assessing Social Worker will visit you and will ask many detailed questions about your life from birth to the present date. Many applicants find this a very detailed process and a rewarding experience.
The assessing social worker will visit you between 8 to 10 times and each visit will last about two hours. They will speak to the whole household and will also interview personal references and significant ex-partners. We understand not all relationships end amicably so please do not be concerned but we do need to speak to these people. The assessing social worker will also complete a health and safety assessment of your home and complete a financial assessment as we need to ensure our foster carers are not solely reliant on the fostering allowance as allowances are only received when you are caring for children.
As you will understand, all of these checks ensure that our children are in the safest of hands and we have a duty to ensure you are the right people to care for our children.
Step 5: The fostering panel
Once the assessment is finished, your assessment report will be presented to Redbridge’s Fostering Panel. The fostering panel consists of a team of experts (usually between 7 and 10 people). Once they have read the assessment report, they will meet with you and your assessing social worker.
It is a welcoming environment and the Panel members will ask you some questions about your life, your motivation to foster and how you’re going to make a real difference to our children. Your assessor will be by your side the whole time and their role in panel is to answer some of the questions and to explain their views from what they’ve written.
The Panel Chairperson will give you a recommendation on the day, which is their collective recommendation. This recommendation is then shared with the Agency Decision Maker who will make the final decision on your suitability to foster.
Many people come out of the panel feeling energised and eager to begin their journey as a foster carer.
Step 6: Approval to become a foster carer
Once the Agency Decision Maker has made their decision you will be notified in writing and if it is a positive outcome you will be asked to sign a Foster Carer Agreement. This will detail our basic expectations of you, so do read this prior to signing it. As soon as this has been signed and returned to us, you are an approved Foster Carer – congratulations!
You will be introduced to your own Supervising Social Worker who will be an experienced Fostering Social Worker and you will start to form a professional relationship with them. They will be your go-to throughout your fostering career, and will support you with the role, providing guidance at times of need and ensuring your practice meets our high standards too.
It may then be a month, a week, or a day until you will take your first child or children. You will be given a referral to read all of the information that we know about the children at the time. Do remember we can only tell you what we have found out – we don’t always know everything at the time of placement.
Step 7: Changing a child’s life
Before you know it, your first child or children will be on their way to you! So get your warm welcome ready and start preparing to change a child’s life.
This can feel quite overwhelming but be assured your supervising social worker will be with you to support you every step of the way and please remember, we do not expect foster carers to be superheroes! Your time, availability and big heart are a perfect combination to allow a child to thrive in your care.
If you have read the process and are keen to become a foster care, please contact us or join us for an informal information session where you can find out more and ask any questions you may have.
Get in touch:
- call us on 0208 708 6068 to find out more about fostering and ask us any questions you may have
- visit Local Community Fostering website to complete a short form and we will be in touch
- Keep up to date by following Redbridge Fostering on Facebook
- join us on our next virtual information session, click here to book a place:
Book a place on our next virtual information session
Fostering FAQs
Find out the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about foster caring.
What do foster carers do?
Foster carers look after children in their care on a day-to-day basis and meet their every need. Foster carers also come into contact with and work alongside other people who play an important part in the life of a child. They play a vital role in helping the child/ children in their care to maintain contact with the child’s family. Foster carers also ensure that they meet with various professionals involved in the child’s safety and wellbeing including social workers, teachers, doctors, health visitors and occasionally members of the legal profession.
Foster carers work as part of a team and help is always available to support you with these important areas.
What qualities would I need?
It may sound silly, but foster carers will need to like children and keep liking them despite what may happen. Foster carers need to be loving, patient, understanding, tolerant, resilient, flexible, open-minded, energetic, have a sense of humour and be prepared to stick with it.
We recognise this list can be demanding, so we offer regular training and support groups to aid your role. We realise how daunting it can be to consider fostering and what a huge decision this is and we are here to support you every step of the way. We look for potential, not perfection.
Can I foster and still work?
In an ideal world, it would be fantastic if one carer in the household were available at all times and not work. We understand, however, that this is not always possible. If your job is flexible and can work around the child/ children to ensure that all of their needs are met, including maintaining contact with their family members and attending appointments and meetings then you could be considered to foster. This will be discussed further during the assessment process.
There are also options of being approved for short break foster care or to provide emergency foster care which could be considered as alternative arrangements for those wishing to foster where work is not as flexible.
Please see the different types of foster care that we offer.
How long does it take to become a foster carer?
Every situation is different, but on average from the time that we receive your completed application form to approval at panel, the length of time is usually 3 to 6 months. This may seem like a long time but we need to make sure that our foster carers have the skills and support they need to make a difference. During this time we will do all we can to help you understand what’s involved and give you the best possible support.
What age do you have to be to become a foster carer?
For most foster carers it is important they have had some life experience. The minimum age to become a foster carer is 21. This also helps to ensure that there is a sufficient age gap between older children and yourself.
However, there is no upper age limit! As long as you are physically fit enough and have the energy and capacity to make a difference to young people’s lives, it is never too late to start your fostering journey.
Do I need a spare room to be a foster carer?
You would need to have a spare bedroom to make sure the child you foster has the privacy and space they need. The only exception is if you are approved to care for very young babies who could share the foster carer's bedroom in their own bed until they reach 3 years old.
What if I haven’t got children myself?
We need different carers for different children. Sometimes not having other children in the placement will benefit the foster child.
Do I need to be married to become a foster carer?
No, you do not need to be married or living with someone. However, you might want to give some thought about the support network you have. Who could you turn to for practical support?
Will my sexuality affect me becoming a foster carer?
Not at all! Our aim is to provide children with the best possible life chances and that means offering the opportunity to foster from diverse backgrounds. If you can support, love and care for a foster child then we would love to hear from you.
I'm disabled, can I still become a foster carer?
Absolutely! If your disability does not prevent you from fully supporting a child, both physically (taking the child to school; taking a child to spend quality time with their family; taking the child to any extra curricular activities to name a few) and emotionally, then we would love to hear from you. As part of the fostering assessment, we will require a medical assessment to be completed by your GP and pass this to a Medical Adviser who completes a report stating if you are suitable to foster.
What if I don’t live in a house?
It does not matter if you live in a house or flat as long as you have the facilities you need to look after a child or young person. We like to make sure a child or young person has their own bedroom. Children and young people need a safe and caring environment to grow up in, and teenagers in particular need their own space. However, babies up to the age of three can stay in your room in their own bed until they turn three years of age.
If you are renting, we need permission from the landlord to give permission for the property to be used for fostering purposes.
You will be unable to foster if you live in temporary accommodation or have lodgers.
What if I have a criminal record?
Having a criminal record does not mean you cannot become a foster carer. If you have a past or current conviction, you must discuss it with the social worker who visits you, before you decide to go ahead with your full assessment.
Have all the children needing foster care been abused or neglected?
No, not necessarily. However, most children will be experiencing a period of uncertainty or may be going through a family crisis. Moving into a strange house may be upsetting and worrying for some, and each child will have been affected by separation and loss. Foster parents need to be sensitive and understanding to the child’s needs.
Do I need to be a British Citizen?
You do not need to be a UK citizen to become a foster carer but you do need to be a permanent resident, have indefinite leave to remain or at least three years leave to remain. If there is a risk of deportation or your leave expiring, we would not be able to consider you to foster because of the effects on the child in your care if you had to leave the UK.
Do I (and my partner) need to be able to communicate well in English?
Fostering involves attending meetings where the needs of the child are discussed. As foster carers you will be strong advocates for the child in your care and will need to be able to fully communicate and understand the needs of the child in your care and be able to communicate this to professionals.
Fostering also involves reading and writing as foster carers need to write daily records once a child is in their care.
It is a huge benefit for our foster carers to speak additional languages and many of our foster carers speak multiple languages, we just need you to be able to communicate well in English.
Will I be employed by Redbridge Council and will fostering have an impact on any welfare benefits I currently receive?
Foster carers are paid allowances when they are caring for children who need fostering. As such, foster carers are self-employed and will need to complete a self-assessment tax return each year. Foster carers also receive additional tax relief.
The Fostering Network run webinars every year and have a wealth of information relating to foster carers self employment and finances, which our foster carers, as members, will have access to. Please visit the Fostering Network website for further information.
Get in touch:
- call us on 0208 708 6068 to find out more about fostering and ask us any questions you may have
- visit Local Community Fostering website to complete a short form and we will be in touch
- Keep up to date by following Redbridge Fostering on Facebook
- join us on our next virtual information session, click here to book a place:
Book a place on our next virtual information session
Transfer to the Redbridge Fostering Team
If you are already a foster carer with a provider other than Redbridge Council, you can transfer to us. We could ‘fast track,’ your application if you are already an approved foster carer.
When a child in Redbridge needs to spend some time in foster care then Redbridge Council’s foster carers are the first people to be contacted. This means that as a Redbridge foster carer you receive priority for placements over any other agency or local authority. There is very close communication between fostering supervising social workers and the children’s social workers for a truly holistic approach for our children in care.
Redbridge Council do not make any profit from fostering, unlike private fostering agencies that run as a business. We are dedicated to achieving the best care for our children and by fostering with your local authority, you will ensure that all of our financial resources go directly into supporting Redbridge children in our community.
You do not need to inform your fostering provider that you have approached us for an initial discussion around transferring. There is nothing wrong with gaining as much information as possible before making a firm decision when you can then notify your existing agency and begin the process in transferring to Redbridge.
Once you have submitted an application form to transfer to Redbridge Council, we will then contact your current fostering agency for a reference and complete a file read.
All of our foster carers receive continued training and development from their own dedicated supervising social worker and a competitive financial reward as well as a monthly support group with other foster carers in Redbridge.
We are currently also offering a £1000 incentive scheme to Redbridge carers who refer a friend or family member once they are successfully approved as a foster carer.
We will accept you with children placed by other authorities for the length of their placement. All transfers will follow the Fostering Network Transfer protocol.
Get in touch:
- call us on 0208 708 6068 to find out more about fostering and ask us any questions you may have
- visit Local Community Fostering website to complete a short form and we will be in touch
- Keep up to date by following Redbridge Fostering on Facebook
- join us on our next virtual information session, click here to book a place:
Book a place on our next virtual information session
Additional information
Keep up to date by following Redbridge Fostering on Facebook
Find out more on the Redbridge Fostering Handbook
