1

Am I too old to be a foster carer ?

Although there is not a legal upper age limit, being a foster carer is demanding and you need to be able to demonstrate the energy, emotional and physical health to care for a child or children.

2

Do I have to be married ?

No. – It doesn’t matter whether you are single, married or in a partnership

However we do ask that any couples have been together for at least three years and can provide evidence that they have a stable and enduring relationship that is likely to last through a child’s upbringing and beyond.  

3

Are foster carers paid ?

Yes, PACT pays a professional fee to its foster carers, which also includes a personal allowance for the young person’s care and personal expenses. This is currently £335.70 a week for one child and £604.35 for two children. This allowance will be reviewed at the end of the financial year 2008/9.

4

What does ‘long term’ fostering mean?

PACT’s Long Term Fostering Service has been developed for families who are able to offer permanent homes to older children 24 hours a day.  Children will be aged between 8 and 11 years when they are placed and will need to remain with their permanent families until they are grown up and ready to live independently.  For many young people today this is often not until they are in their early 20s.

PACT does not accept application from families wishing to provide short term care for children.  We would suggest those families contact their local authority fostering services and discuss what they have to offer.

5

Do I need to have children already ?

No, some children will be happier in a large family, some need more individual attention. Whether you have your own children or not (perhaps they’ve grown up and left home), you can be a foster carer.

However, if you have children they need to be involved in the process, as having another child or children in their home will affect their lives too. We are unlikely to place foster children in a home if existing children are the same age, or younger than 8 - 11 years.  Children of a similar age may become competitive and many of the Looked After children we care for need to be the youngest in the family.

6

Will a criminal offence stop me from becoming a foster carer ?

PACT looks at individual circumstances. However, you will not be able to become a foster carer if you have any criminal offence against children.

7

Will I receive support & training ?

Yes, PACT recognises that fostering is a challenging task and would require you to attend regular training. This is in addition to the Carer’s support group, which meets every 6 weeks and your own dedicated social worker who will supervise and support your work.

8

Can I be a foster carer if I smoke ?

PACT is aware of the medical evidence regarding the impact of passive smoking on children and is looking to place children in a smoke free home.   Given the highly addictive nature of smoking applicants would be expected to have given up at least a year before they apply to become a foster carer.  Individuals are seen as non smokers once they have given up for 10 years.

9

Do I have to be medically fit to become a foster carer ?

You do need to be medically fit to care for a child, if you have a medical condition or disability that is not life threatening, is well controlled by medication, and does not affect normal daily life, we will consider you.

10

Do I need to stop working?

You will need to demonstrate that you have the time to give to your foster child – caring for children and young people who have been through trauma and loss means being available for them at any time.

REMEMBER: there is no such thing as a typical foster carer: we are all different and so are the children who need long term fostering.