Become a foster carer
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.
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
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.
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