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 you apply to become a foster carer, you will go through a series of steps and phases as part of the overall fostering process. One of these steps is an initial home visit, which is an essential part of the fostering assessment process. This guide looks to explain exactly what foster care home visits entail, and how you can prepare for this initial visit.
The initial home visit for potential foster carers has an informal and casual feel and will typically last around 1 – 2 hours – depending on how much detail is required from the visit, and whether this visit is face-to-face or virtual. The main aim of this meeting is to understand the suitability of the foster carers, and whether or not your application can proceed. The indoor and outdoor spaces of your home will also be assessed to determine how a child could benefit from living in your environment. It’s also really important for you to get to know us as much as you can – this is an opportunity to ask questions about fostering and about our agency. It’s a two way conversation!
The initial home visit will be attended by one of our supervising social workers, a manager from your independent fostering agency team and/or one of our recruitment officers.
From your side, the main carer and their partner (if relevant) need to attend the visit. . Other household members can also be met as part of the assessment, including any relatives who are living there over the age of 18, or if you have a permanent lodger.
Older children are welcomed to join the meeting. Young children can also be at the meeting if necessary but we won't go into any detail with them at this stage. Everything we discuss during this visit is age appropriate. We do want the whole family to be on board with fostering though, so its helpful if you have already discussed this with your family.
During the home visit, we’ll cover a range of conversation topics and ask questions to understand more about you and your family. Some of the topics we would typically cover include:
We’d also ask you questions about yourself to get you know you better, such as hobbies and interests, what you like to do in your spare time and anything that tells us more about you as a person. We always find this really important as children who may come to live with you will have hobbies and interests too so the more we know about you the better.
It’s worth being aware that some of the questions may feel slightly personal or intrusive, but it’s important to ask them as we need to ensure the people who we recruit to take care of young children are the best fit.
After the initial home visit has been concluded, a report will be written which will recommend whether or not the application should go ahead. This will then be signed off by one of our Social Work Managers. Your decision will also be factored into this recommendation – as it’s possible that after the meeting, you may feel that fostering is not the right path for you, in which case, you can withdraw or delay your application process.
If you’ve been recommended to proceed with the application but decide not to, don’t be a stranger! In many circumstances, interest to become a foster carer is shown up to 2 years before people apply – as circumstances can dictate timings on whether fostering is the right choice there and then, such as planned home improvements pending, health priorities or birth children’s busy schedules. By staying in touch, if your circumstances do change, we’ll be there for you every step of the way.
Feel like you’re ready to make the first step and apply to become a foster carer with Capstone? Our friendly team make the process as easy as possible – simply start by making an initial enquiry by completing an online form, requesting a call back or an information pack. From there, the next step will be your home visit.
Get in touch with our expert team today to find out more about the fostering assessment process, foster care home visits and more.
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.
