You have to be at least 21 years old to apply to become a foster carer. There is no upper age limit.

No, but you will need a spare room for the child and have experience of caring for children.

You can still foster, but your work would need to be flexible enough to suit the needs of a child.

We look for people who show warmth, perseverance, patience and are flexible and understanding and can have fun with kids. If you are organised and can work as team player with us and the child and can respect  confidentiality in relation to the child or young person in your care then you may have what we are looking for.

You don't need any professional experience or qualifications. It will help you though if you have some experience of working or caring for children.

Some of the checks we will make during the process are:

  • DBS check for applicant(s) and any regular visitors to your household
  • medical check for applicant(s)
  • 6 personal references
  • current employer reference and any previous employer references if you have worked with children or young people
  • Children and Mental Health Services (CAMHS) check
  • NSPCC check
  • Other Local Authority checks (OLA) if you have lived anywhere else
  • Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) check
  • education checks if you have children of school age
  • local Police check

There are certain offences that would prevent you from fostering, but these are about offences against children and those of a violent nature, not all convictions would exclude you.

The following are some of the training and support that we offer:

  • Preparation courses and training
  • Supervising social worker
  • Payments for fostering
  • Consultation meetings
  • Annual Conference

To care for children that have often had difficult experiences, we offer training in managing behaviour. We also have a therapist that can offer advice. We also have supervising social workers that will be able to offer advice and assistance.

Making a difference to a child's life with Telford & Wrekin means that the support you'll get is second to none. It is important that you are able to work within a team and communicate effectively.

We are looking for lots of families where a child can stay. How long a child stays will depend on what you are able to offer but also what they need. Some families offer a home until the family situation is resolved, which can be one week or a year, whilst other families offer a home until the child is an adult (or older). This will be discussed with you by a social worker.

We are looking for all sorts of carers, some children only need a short period of time away from the family home whilst other children will need a permanent home. The right sort of placement will be discussed with you so it fits in with your lifestyle and our children's needs.

Yes, you can be:

  • single
  • in a settled relationship
  • married
  • in a civil partnership
  • with or without your own children