Become a foster carer

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Find out about the process of becoming a foster carer with Sutton Council.

Who can foster

We welcome people from all walks of life to foster. You can be:

any age over 21
single or in a couple, married or divorced
working, not working or retired
any ethnic or faith background
from any part of the LGBTQ+ community

All you need to have is a spare room, and the time and skills to look after a vulnerable child. Your unique experience could make all the difference to a child’s life.

View our information booklet

We need carers for children of all ages, but particularly need people who would like to care for teenagers, sibling groups and disabled children. Find out more about the types of fostering we offer.

Two young children hugging each other with their backs to us

How we decide if you can foster

We need to make sure that vulnerable children have a safe and nurturing foster home. We follow a process to assess prospective foster carers to make sure they’re suitable to foster. This process can take up to 16 weeks.

Step 1: Register your interest in fostering

The first step is to contact us to tell us you’re interested in fostering.

We’ll get back to you within 24 hours to have an initial conversation with you.

Online

Telephone

020 8770 5563

Email

fostering.duty@sutton.gov.uk

If you’re already a foster carer you can transfer to work with us.

Step 2: Home visit

If the first conversation goes well, we’ll arrange for a social worker to visit you at home.

This will give you a chance to ask more questions and let us understand your individual circumstances better in person.

Step 3: Assessment

After the home visit, if we feel you’re ready to progress to the next stage, we’ll send you an application form to begin the fostering assessment process.

Stage one checks

We’ll complete several checks and references on you and your household. This includes medical checks and a DBS check for everyone over 18 in the home.

Stage two assessment

An assessing social worker will visit you and your family in your home multiple times to consider your suitability to foster.

The social worker will put together a report at the end of this stage. The report will include the discussions you’ve had and their recommendations regarding your suitability to foster.

Skills to Foster training

During the fostering assessment, you’ll be asked to attend a 3-day course which will give you the basic knowledge and skills you need to begin fostering. Attending the training is part of your assessment process.

Step 4: Fostering panel and approval

The social worker’s final report about your suitability to foster will be presented to our fostering panel. The panel will decide if they recommend you to become an approved foster carer.