Can I foster?

People from all walks of life can become foster carers. There are no special qualifications you need to have. Having patience, warmth and understanding for a young person experiencing a tough time in their life are all essential qualities for foster carers. If you have room in your home, and room in your life, then fostering could be for you.

Did you know that:

• There’s no upper age limit to become a foster carer, although we usually ask that you are over 21
• You can be a parent, but you don’t have to be
• You could be married, single, in a civil partnership or living in a settled relationship
• You can work too, dependent on the age of the young person you care for and the flexibility of your employer.
• You don’t need to be earning a specific salary - you could be working, not working or retired.
• You don’t need to be a home owner; rented accommodation is fine as long as your landlord agrees
• If you are fostering babies you don’t need to have a spare bedroom
• Having a pet isn’t a barrier to fostering – they get their own assessment too!
• You could be approved as a foster carer within around nine months, from the point of application
• We welcome people who may already be fostering for an agency. We have a special process designed to help you to transfer to us in as little as four months.

You can join us for one of our online information sessions. If you prefer to meet us and chat in person you’ll find us out and about at events around Walsall all year round.

Find out more

Contact us using the buttons below to ask more questions, find out how to apply or to enquire about transferring to foster with Walsall.