Fostering
Fostering FAQs
- What kind of support could I expect?
- Will I get help with any equipment?
- What kind of payments could I expect?
- Do we have contact with a child's birth parents?
- Can I foster if I am over 60?
- Can I foster if I'm not married?
- Can I foster if I am unemployed?
- Can I foster if I work full-time?
- Can I foster if I don't own my home?
- Can I foster if I have a criminal conviction?
- Can I foster if I already have children of my own?
- What kind of support could I expect?
South Tyneside Fostering Service offers support to its carers 24 hours per day. Our carers enjoy the benefits of a well established and supportive foster care community, which includes a weekly drop-in.
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- Will I get help with any equipment?
All the equipment you need - such as car seats, cots, prams and bedding - is provided.
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- What kind of payments could I expect?
All of South Tyneside's foster carers receive allowances to enable them to provide for the children in their care. These allowances are set against the rates recommended by the Fostering Network, which is an independent body set up to promote foster care across the country.
Our fee based schemes offer carers the opportunity to earn a salary as well as receiving other allowances. Please talk to us to learn more about these exciting and rewarding opportunities.
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- Do we have contact with a child's birth parents?
In the majority of cases - where it is deemed safe to do so - contact between children and their birth families is promoted. This is because the experience of separation from their birth parents is usually very traumatic for children.
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- Can I foster if I am over 60?
Yes. We do not operate an upper age limit, but you would need to be fit and healthy enough to care for and meet the needs of a child or young person. The youngest age at which you can foster is 21.
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- Can I foster if I'm not married?
Yes. Single people and unmarried couples can foster.
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- Can I foster if I am unemployed?
Yes. We approve people from every walk of life as long as you are financially stable.
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- Can I foster if I work full-time?
This need not be a problem - many parents & carers work full time. What is important is that you have the space and time to meet a child's needs.
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- Can I foster if I don't own my home?
Yes. You need to show that you have enough room to care for a child or children in a safe environment, whether you rent or own your home.
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- Can I foster if I have a criminal conviction?
Many people who have a criminal record, or who have been cautioned, can be considered as a foster carer. Much depends on the seriousness of the offence, how long ago since the crime was committed and how you have lived your life since. People with convictions for violent or sexual offences against children cannot foster.
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- Can I foster if I already have children of my own?
Yes. Your own children would be included in the approval process too, as they are so important in the family.
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