Fostering and Religion

Matching faiths with your foster child

When choosing suitable foster carers for any foster child, we actively explore every opportunity to ensure there is as much consistency in their transition into care as possible. This is why it’s important for our children to be matched with foster carers who share the beliefs that they do.  

Whether you’re Christian, Muslim, Sikh, or from another religious background, it can be a positive experience for your foster child to celebrate Christmas, Eid, or Diwali with you as a family.   

Supporting your foster child’s religious beliefs

Over time, your foster child may begin to develop their own religious beliefs, and they have a right to choose how they express their religion. You may be required to help your foster child to fulfil their religious needs, whether that be by taking them to Church, catering to their dietary requirements, or celebrating religious festivals. You should also accept and accommodate any differing beliefs between you and your foster child – after all, it’s your role as their foster parent to create a supportive, nurturing environment for them to explore their values and beliefs.

Fostering a child from a different religious background

While we’ll always do our best to ensure our foster children are matched with foster carers from the same religious background, it is not always possible. In this case, it’s important to communicate with your social worker as much as you can to ensure your foster child’s religious needs are being met.  

We also offer a wealth of support for our foster carers. Not only to provide advice and understanding about your foster child’s relationship with their faith, but across all aspects of foster care. With your own dedicated social worker, support groups and training.