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
Reasons for a child to 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
Caring for a child or young person calls for special personality traits. Having a criminal record may not prevent you from fostering. Past offences do not necessarily mean that you cannot become a foster carer.
Whether you apply through your local authority or through a service such as Capstone Foster Care, part of the assessment process includes a police check or Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on anyone in your household over the age of 18. If you have a record and would like to know if you meet the fostering criteria, discuss the concept of fostering with Capstone Foster Care and be straightforward about your criminal record. The DBS check will reveal any criminal records you have so the earlier in the process that you discuss this aspect of your history, the better it is.
A criminal record does not necessarily disqualify you from becoming a foster carer. The circumstances, how long ago the criminal activity took place, and the type of offence are all factors considered during the application process. The type of offence is the major concern. There are criminal convictions that do preclude individuals from fostering such as offences against children, sexual offences, and certain violent crimes. Part of your assessment involves assessment of the risk your past offences poses to children and young people before Capstone Foster Care makes a decision regarding your suitability as a carer.
If you are a patient individual with a good sense of humour with an understanding personality, you have the essential traits to be a foster carer. If your offences are acceptable, there are other considerations that any local authority or fostering service has. At Capstone, the minimum age to be foster carers is 21. There is no upper age limit. The primary considerations are your health, maturity, and ability to carry out the sometimes demanding tasks of being foster parents to a child or young person.
Your marital status is not a factor. You can be married, single, in a common law relationship, gay or straight. There should be sufficient space in the family home so that each child has a separate bedroom that is spacious enough to hold a single bed and a chest of drawers or a wardrobe. There should not be aggressive pets in the household and if the foster child is under 5, it should be a non-smoking home.
As well as the DBS check, you will also undergo a health check. Ongoing training, help, and support are provided throughout your fostering work. A social worker will make home visits. It takes several months before a decision is made. If you are interested in becoming a foster carer, you are in high demand. Contact Capstone Foster Care with any specific questions you may have. We are willing to discuss any concerns you have about offences that have resulted in a criminal record before the assessment process begins. Once you are approved by Capstone Foster Care, you have our full support. Before any child is placed with you, all the details of the placement will be discussed with you. Allowances are made for the fact that you are new to fostering and you will have a supervising social worker to help you.
If you would like to register your interest, or simply talk to someone further, please call Capstone Foster Care on 0800 012 4004 or simply click here.
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.
