Fostering a disabled child
The role of an independent fostering agency
Can I choose who I foster?
How to foster
What are the benefits of fostering with an independent fostering agency?
What happens when a child is taken into care?
Fostering process: what happens on an initial home visit?
Can you foster if you have mental health issues?
Fostering with local authority vs independent agency
Interview: Life as a foster parent during the pandemic
Becoming A Foster Carer
Benefits of becoming a foster parent
What is a Care Leaver?
What is a Foster Carer?
What is Foster Care?
Do I become a Foster Carer?
Fostering Regulations
How much do Foster Parents get paid?
How to Foster a Child
How long does it take to become a Foster Carer?
How to foster – everything you ever wanted to know
Facts about Foster Care
What are the Foster Care requirements?
Foster Care Handbook
Foster Carer Job Description
Changing IFA - Transferring to Capstone
Fostering Definition
Foster Care Statistics
Fostering Assessment
Fostering Outcomes
Fostering Stories
Fostering Children UK
Children needing Fostering
8 reasons why a child may be taken into care
Fostering as a Career
Looked after Children
Top transferable job skills to become a foster carer
Fostering as a same sex couple
Fostering while renting
Can I foster if...?
Mythbusting the top 10 Foster Care Myths
Can I foster if I am disabled?
LGBT Fostering Mythbusting
Can I foster if I have pets?
Can I Foster A Child?
Can you Foster and Work?
Can you Foster with a Criminal Record
Fostering as a Single Parent
LGBT Family and Foster Care
Fostering across Cultures
Muslim Fostering
Christian Foster Care
Sikh
Empty Nest Syndrome and Foster Care
10 things you can do when your Children fly the nest
Can I Foster?
Fostering Babies - Myths
Focusing on Parent & Child Fostering
Fostering Siblings
Fostering Teenagers
Fostering Teenagers - Breaking down the Myths
Fostering Unaccompanied and Asylum Seeking Children
Mother and Baby Foster Placements
Private Fostering
Therapeutic Fostering - Multi-disciplinary Assessment Treatment & Therapy Service (MATTS)
Young Children Fostering Placements
Difference between short and long-term fostering
How to prepare a child for becoming a care leaver
Children who foster: impact of fostering on birth children
How to prepare your home for a foster child
10 tips for foster children’s education
How to prepare your foster child for secondary school
Tips for coping when foster placements end
Tips for foster parents during Coronavirus
What happens if foster parents get divorced?
5 ways to manage Mother’s Day with foster children
Tips for managing foster children’s bedtime routines
How to handle foster child bullying
Fostering allowances and the gender pay gap
Tips for keeping foster children safe online
How to adopt from Foster Care
5 ways to manage Father’s Day with foster children
8 most common fostering challenges
Supporting foster children’s contact with birth families
How to deal with empty nest syndrome
How to recognise signs of depression in foster children
Can you take a foster child on holiday?
Tips and advice on fostering with a disability
10 tips on connecting with your Foster Child
Fostering versus Adoption - What's the difference?
How Fostering can change a future
How to adopt from Foster Care
How to encourage children to read in Foster Care
How to prepare a Foster Child's bedroom
Online grooming - unwanted contact and how to identify it
Reading and storytelling with Babies and young Children
Supporting Children's Learning
Technology and Internet Safety advice
The 20 most recommended books Foster Carers and young people should read
The impact of early childhood traumas on adolescence and adulthood
Tips for coping with attachment disorders in Foster Children
Tips for supporting reunification in Foster Care
Together for a better Internet - Web Safety for Foster Children
What is sexual abuse and sexual violence
Foster Child behaviour management strategies
Foster Parent Advice: What to expect in your first year of fostering
Capstone's twelve tips at Christmas
10 celebrities who grew up in Foster Care
Celebrating our Children and Young People
Could Millenials be the solution to the Foster Care crisis?
Do you work in Emergency Services?
Form F Assessor and Assessment Training
Foster Care Fortnight
Improving Children's Welfare - Celebrating Universal Children's Day
It's time to talk about Mental Health and Foster Care
New Year - New Career - Become a Foster Carer
Promoting the rights and wellbeing of persons with Disabilities
Refugee Week
Young people and Mental Health in a changing world
Young People Charities
When deciding whether fostering is the right path for you, you may have various questions around the child you will be fostering, and what level of choice you have. Whether you have an age range preference or you’re curious about ethnicity matching, we’ve put together these FAQs around choosing foster children which may help answer your question.
However, if your question has still been unanswered, either visit our dedicated fostering FAQs page or get in touch with a member of our team today.
There is a diverse range of children in the foster care system who need support and a secure, loving environment. Not only do these children vary in age, but they also vary in ethnicity, race and religion, too. Many young people in care are over the age of 10 years.
All of our foster carers are approved from either birth to 18 years old, or from 5 years old to 18 years old – as well as being approved for caring for both genders. However, if you do have a preferred age range you would like to care for, this can be taken into account.
Having a preferred age range could be due to various family circumstances – but it’s important to note, if you only receive a fostering payment when you have a child/ren in placement with you, it’s more beneficial to be open to a wide range of ages. Specific age ranges may be limited which is determined by the referrals received from the local authority – meaning it’s likely that carers who specify they would like a younger child may have to wait longer for a suitable placement than a carer who is open to all ages.
Yes – you are able to foster more than one child at a time. You can do this either by fostering sibling groups – which looks to place children from the same biological family with the same foster family to alleviate trauma, create consistency and increase comfort to children in the care system.
You are also able to have more than one foster placement simultaneously. This is quite common for foster parents to partake in – however, it’s important to note that assessments will need to be undertaken to ensure that the existing child in your care will cope well with a new child entering the environment, and vice versa.
It’s also worth noting that it’s possible to foster a child alongside your own biological children – but, again, assessments will need to be carried out to ensure the fit is applicable for everyone.
Here at Capstone Foster Care, we try to ensure that cultures and religions of our foster children and carers are matched as well as possible to adhere to cultural values and religious beliefs. However, with a diverse range of foster children, foster parents should be prepared to foster a child of any race, religion or ethnicity. Learn more about cultural diversity with foster care from our guide.
When it comes to placing a child with a foster family, we look at a range of criteria to ensure we are creating the perfect match. Some of the types of criteria that are considered include:
However, the most important attribute when looking to match a child with a carer is ensuring the needs of the child and your experience is appropriate – so we are delivering the best level of care possible for the young person in care.
The length of time a child will stay with you depends entirely on their individual circumstances, and what type of fostering placement this would be. For example, an emergency foster placement can last days, whereas a long term foster placement could last years. Here at Capstone, we do our best to ensure we help you decide what is the right type of fostering placement for you.
Ready to learn more about how to become a foster carer? Our friendly team of experts are always on hand to help.
If you’ve got any questions or would like to find out more about fostering with Capstone, fill out the form below.
An experienced fostering advisor from your local area will then be in touch.
Start the conversation today. Our team of friendly advisors are on hand to answer any foster care questions you may have. We can offer you honest and practical advice that can help you decide if becoming a foster carer is the right path for you.
