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Is previous fostering experience necessary?
There are many questions you might have if you are considering becoming a foster parent. One of these questions is whether it’s necessary to have previous fostering experience to become a foster parent with Match Foster Care or any other fostering agency.
The good news is that it’s not necessary to have previous experience as a foster carer to become a foster carer with us. While there are other requirements to meet, many of our foster parents are first-time foster parents. It is helpful if you have experience with children, whether in your personal life or as part of your job, but our foster parents receive all of the support that they need to achieve their goals and offer the best fostering care that they can.
Testimonials
Who Can Become a Foster Parent?
There are few hard and fast rules when it comes to being a foster parent. The most important thing is to look at your personal circumstances and whether you are a good candidate for fostering. If you want to be a foster parent, you need to live in the UK and be over the age of 21. There’s no upper age limit for foster parents, as long as they are still capable of providing everything that the children in their care need.
You can become a foster parent as a single person, and you can be a foster parent while working part-time or full-time. The most important thing to consider is that you need to have the time and energy available to fulfil your responsibilities as a foster parent.
Transferring from Another Fostering Agency
If you do have experience as a foster parent, that’s great too. At Match Foster Care, we can help you to transfer from your current agency to us. Although we don’t actively seek to convince people to change agencies, we recognise that you might be looking for the right agency and considering a change. We can help you to make sure we’re a good fit for you.
Eligibility and Assessments for Foster Caring
The fostering assessment process is designed to ensure potential foster parents are suited to the role. At Match Foster Care, we have done everything we can to make the process as enjoyable and informative as possible. We want to check that you are prepared to foster a child and manage all of the responsibilities that come with it. If you have been a foster parent before, this can certainly be a point in your favour. However, it’s not necessary to have previous experience in fostering to become a candidate.
Our assessments consist of three main parts:
Background checks
We carry out police, medical and local authority checks as an important step to protect children in foster care.
Training
You receive training to help you learn more about being a foster parent and what it involves.
Home visits
These visits assess the suitability of your home, as well as give you the chance to talk more about being a foster parent and ask any questions.
Areas We Cover
Match Foster Care covers all over the West Midlands, including, Birmingham, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Dudley, Sandwell, Herefordshire, Telford, Wolverhampton, Shropshire, Walsall,
Warwickshire, Stoke, Solihull, Coventry and Gloucestershire.
We have two offices: one in Droitwich and one in Stoke but our staff are located across the whole region to provide local support when you most need it.
Droitwich Office
Severn House, 30 – 32 Ombersley Street West, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire,
WR9 8QZ
Stoke-on-Trent Office
3-5 Vale Street, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire,
ST4 7LR
