A foster carer is a person who provides care for a child or young person in their home when they are unable to live with their family. 

Long term fostering
This is a planned placement that occurs when children are unable to live with their family for a number of years or until they reach adulthood. This could mean that a child will come and stay with you until they reach 18 years of age.

Short term fostering
This is short term or possibly a temporary placement that occurs whilst the local authority are confirming plans for a child’s future. The time span for a short term placement can be 12 months or may be longer.

Respite or Short Breaks
This is a temporary placement where children are looked after by other foster carers or their parent/s to give their full-time foster carers or parent/s a break. The time span for respite or short break fostering can be from a weekend to 1 or 2 weeks.

Yes, they can and although we do receive referrals for babies from local authorities, the volume of referrals for babies is not as high as it is for children of other ages. As an agency, we would advise that you do not limit your fostering preference to solely babies.

If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us on the live chat below.

If you have a full time job but would still like to provide foster care, you can become a foster carer who provides respite care. At Credo Care, respite foster care is a planned event that can take place at weekends or in school holidays, and often reoccurs. Read more about the different types of fostering

From the moment you enquire with us, the process of becoming a foster carer can take between four and six months.

Our aim is to successfully find a safe and loving home for the most vulnerable children and young people and for this reason the length of assessment can vary. We consider the safety and welfare of the children and young people in our care to be of the highest priority, which is why we want our foster carers to fully prepared, equipped and confident as they embark on their fostering journey.

If you would like more information on this, please chat with us below.

Yes, having a spare room is an essential requirement to foster. When fostering a child or young person, it is important that they have their own space.

Due to the demands of fostering, it is usual for one foster carer to be at home on either a full time basis, or to maintain a flexible job that allows them to be available to meet the needs of the child or young person in their care.

Absolutely, your gender and sexual identity does not negatively impact your ability to provide a child or young person with a safe and loving environment.

There is no upper age limit, however, you must be over 21 years of age to start your fostering journey. You will need to show that you are fit and healthy enough to meet the needs of the child or young person in your care. During the assessment process you will be medically assessed to check that you are fit and healthy.

If you have a criminal record, we would advise disclosing this as early as possible when enquiring about fostering. We do request a DBS check during the assessment process, which will highlight any offences.

Having a criminal record does not necessarily preclude you from fostering, however, there are many elements to consider such as the type of offence, length of time since the offence and the circumstances to name a few.

If you would like to discuss this further, chat with us below.

No, you do not need to own your home. Many foster carers rent their home, however, you must get your landlord’s written permission.

Yes, you can be single and foster. When fostering, it is really important to have a support network, so we’ll ask you about your friends and family.

Yes, you can foster when you have pets. We know pets can be a great asset to a foster family. Your pets will be included in the assessment process.

If yourself or your partner do not drive, it’s likely to be more difficult for you to become a foster carer with us due to the demands of fostering. As a foster carer, you will also need to attend training, appointments and meetings. Likewise, when a child or young person is placed with you, it is likely that they will need to attend school and other appointments.

When you foster with Credo Care, the choice about who you foster is yours. We get to know you, and so when we contact you about placing a child or young person in your home and with your family, it is because you have been selected as a good match. This would only happen if we believe that you can fully meet the needs of the child or young person.

To apply to become a foster carer with Credo Care you will need to:

1. Enquire
You can do this via our enquiry form, live chat with us below, call us on 03301 235 530 or send us an email to interest@credocare.co.uk. Once we have received your enquiry, we will send you our free electronic information guide. This should answer any initial questions you may have about fostering with Credo Care.

2. Telephone call
Once you’ve had the opportunity to read through our free information guide, we’ll give you a call to answer any questions you may have about fostering and the children or young people we work with. We’ll talk you through the support we offer. If you’re happy to move forward, we will ask you some questions in the form of a screening call.

3. Home visit
After your successful screening call, a member of our team will visit you at home. This gives us the opportunity to get to know each other further. These visits can last for up to 2 hours. If you are in a couple, we would hope to meet you both at the initial visit. This is an amazing opportunity for you to decide whether fostering is right for you and your family.

4. Application to foster
Following a successful home visit, you will be asked to complete an application form. After your application form has been considered and approved, you will be allocated an independent assessing social worker, who will start your fostering assessment. The fostering assessment will generally take 6 months.

There are many reasons why as an approved foster carer you may be considering leaving your current foster agency or local authority.

As an approved foster carer, you are entitled to transfer to another agency and we use the Fostering Network’s transfer protocol. Foster carers can only be approved with one agency or local authority at a time. At Credo Care, we work with you and your current agency or local authority to make sure everyone understands what will happen and that any children or young people placed with you are fully supported throughout the transfer process.

If you are considering leaving your current provider, we would be happy to hear from you and explain what makes Credo Care different from other fostering agencies or local authorities.

In order to transfer to Credo Care with a child or young person in place, a protocol meeting is required. This meeting would include ourselves, the local authority responsible for the child or young person and your current fostering agency to ensure everyone is in agreement.