Can You Foster With a Criminal Record?

Having a criminal past does not automatically make you unable to work as a foster carer. Your application process takes into account the type of offense, the circumstances surrounding the crime, and the length of time since the illegal activity occurred.

A police check or Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is part of the evaluation process to check all members of the household who are over 18 years old.

During the application process, it is important to be honest about your criminal history if you have one and want to find out whether you fit the requirements. The earlier you talk about this part of your history, the better, as the DBS check will show any criminal records you may have.

You will have a health check in addition to the DBS check. Additionally, a social worker will visit homes, and a decision might not be made for several months.

At Beacon Fostering, we prefer if our applicants have a clean DBS check and maintain the right to not proceed with applicants who do not have a clean DBS. Should you fail to notify Beacon Fostering about your criminal history, it is likely that we will not continue with your application to foster.

Are you interested in fostering? Click here to find out more.

Request a call back from a member of our recruitment team using the link below

Request a Callback | Beacon Fostering