About fostering

Every child’s journey is unique. And their foster care needs vary based on their circumstances. Some need immediate help, short-term breaks, or long-term stability.

When you decide to foster, we’ll guide you through the process to find the best fit for you, your family, and your situation.  

There are different types of foster care offered in Wakefield. These include short-term and long-term fostering, short breaks, or respite care.  

Short-term fostering

This is for short periods, it could be an overnight stay, or a few months. 
You care for a child until we can reunite them with their family, move them to a long-term placement, or find them a permanent adoptive family.

Long-term fostering

Sometimes a child can't go back to their own family. The best thing for them is to find a long-term foster family. Long-term foster carers open their homes for many years. If you choose to foster long term, the child would become a member of your family and live with you until they're 18. Where possible, you would help the child keep positive links with their birth family. 

Short breaks or respite care

Our respite carers offer short stays. These give other parents or carers a break. This is over an evening, a weekend, or a couple of weeks over the school holidays.  

Parent and child fostering

Some young parents have very limited support networks. And find themselves unable to meet their baby's basic needs. You support them without taking over their parenting responsibilities. Our foster carers help new parents learn how to care for their child, in a safe and welcoming home. 

Other ways to care are:

Family and friends (kinship arrangements)

Kinship care is when a child lives with a relative or friend who isn’t their parent. This is usually because their parents aren’t able to care for them. 

Special guardianships

A Special Guardianship Order (SGO) is a court order that grants parental responsibility. This gives legal status to non-parents until the child reaches the age of 18. It also preserves the link with the child's natural birth parents. Special guardians make day-to-day decisions for the child. 

Private fostering

A private arrangement made between a parent and a carer, for 28 days or more. Birth parents and private foster carers need to notify the local authority within six weeks. 

We will then carry out our legal duty to ensure that the child is safe. We will organise regular visits and offer advice and support when needed. 
Supported lodgings - provides a young person with a room of their own in a home. This is a stepping stone to them achieving their independence. You would help them get familiar everyday living, without any parental responsibility. 

Remand / PACE

Provides care while a child waits for court dates. It provides an alternative to being in custody or secure accommodation. While giving them a chance to show positive changes to their behaviour in society. You will support them to meet bail conditions. As well as helping them attend court dates and meetings with solicitors. 

Emergency care

Sometimes, we need urgent foster care for a child or young person. This is emergency care. Providing immediate support when a child needs it most. Our emergency foster carers are well-prepared for these important moments of care.

• you don’t need to have had your own children, but some experience looking after children or young people is helpful 
• you can be single, married, living with a partner, lesbian, gay, transgender, or bisexual. All we ask is that you have a stable and supportive home environment 
• you don’t need to own your home. You can be renting, but you will need a spare room for the child. If you don’t have a spare room, you may be eligible to foster a baby aged 0 to 2 in your bedroom 
• you don’t need childcare qualifications; we’ll provide all the training you need, especially if you’re caring for children with specific needs. We’ll always consider your experience, knowledge, and skills to match the needs of the child before placing them with you

Step 1 - Make an enquiry

Interested in fostering? Get in touch. Our friendly team will answer any questions you have and send you an information pack.

We’ll guide you every step of the way to ensure you make the right decision about fostering for you and your family. 

How to get in touch: 

• fill in our online enquiry form
• call us direct on 0800 197 0320
• email the fostering team on fostering@wakefield.gov.uk 
• speak to us in person at a fostering drop in session

Meet Karen and Mark, who are foster carers. They talk about their favourite fostering moments and the difference being a foster carer makes.

Step 2 - Initial visit

A member of our recruitment team will arrange to come and visit you at home. Here you can find out more about the process in an informal way. We'll find out more about you and your circumstances. 

Step 3 - Application and checks

We need to carry out checks on potential carers. This is to make sure they are in homes where they will be safe and protected. These checks include: 

• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)  
• local authority checks 
• medical 
• personal and employment references 

You'll need to show that you are in good physical health and able to care for children. 

Step 4 - Preparation training

We hold regular training courses run by social workers and local foster carers. You’ll learn more about fostering for Wakefield and the support and benefits we offer. 

Step 5 - Assessment

You will get assigned a social worker who will meet you on a regular basis. They will help you complete your assessments. They will also identify what support and training you will need. This assessment is then collated and presented to the fostering panel. You will receive a copy of the report. 

Step 6 - Fostering panel

The fostering panel are professionals working with children, foster carers and county councillors. The panel will ask you questions and consider your suitability to foster. You will not be alone, you will have the support of your social worker.  

The panel will then make a recommendation about your approval to the fostering service. They'll then make a recommendation about your approval to the fostering service. 

This whole process can take 4 to 8 months from initial enquiry to approval. 

After approval

New foster carers will get assigned a supervising social worker. They will provide ongoing support. As a registered foster carer you’ll get: 

• invited to attend an induction group with other foster carers  
• a personal development plan and core training to help you develop the skills and understanding 
• regular visits from your supervising social worker 
• local events and support groups to help you meet other foster carers 
• a fostering duty system available to help with any queries - 5 days a week 
• out of hours support - 7 days a week

Want to be part of an initiative that benefits foster carers, children, and our broader community? Become a fostering friendly workplace. you will support your caring employees and encourage others to consider fostering.

What does it mean to be fostering friendly?   

A fostering friendly workplace is one that recognises and supports the needs of employees who are foster carers. This includes:

• understanding the challenges foster carers face
• offering flexible working arrangements
• providing extra leave for fostering-related activities
• developing a culture of empathy and support

Why is this important?

In Wakefield, nearly 40% of foster carers combine fostering with other work. Having a supportive employer makes all the difference. It allows them to balance their professional responsibilities. 

Fostering leads to better outcomes for children in care. It offers them stability and loving homes during difficult times. Additionally, it is the most cost-effective solution. 

Caring for our children poses a huge financial challenge. By supporting local foster carers you’re supporting your local authority.  

Benefits for your organisation

Becoming a foster friendly workplace is good for your organisation too. These policies can: 

• enhance employee morale and loyalty by demonstrating care and social responsibility
• attract like-minded talent and customers who value inclusivity and corporate social responsibility
• foster a workplace culture that prioritises empathy and support, setting you apart in today’s competitive job market

How to become foster friendly

The foster friendly scheme is run by The Fostering Network. Joining the scheme is simple:   

1. contact The Fostering Network at fosteringfriendly@fostering.net
2. incorporate their template HR policy into your existing policies with their guidance
3. submit the finalised policy for approval, which takes a week
4. once approved, display the Fostering Friendly logo. And join the register of fostering friendly workplaces promoted by The Fostering Network
5. let our Fostering Wakefield team know at fostering@wakefield.goc.uk. We will add you company to our fostering friendly information

Why act now?

The need for foster carers has never been more urgent. The number of children in care is rising. And the number of carers decreasing. It’s more important than ever that we come together as a community to provide the support needed. 

Make these small changes and help you caring staff feel valued. Support more people to step forward and become foster carers. Together, let’s create a fostering friendly Wakefield. Where children and carers thrive, and our community grows stronger.