Fostering as a single parent

In the UK today, there are many foster parents who are married, in long-term relationships or co-habiting, but this is by no means a legal requirement. Providing that you are committed to providing a loving and nurturing home to a foster child and can meet some basic criteria, you can start fostering as a single parent.

What are the main requirements for fostering?

Fostering a child is possible providing you can meet specific requirements. Under UK law, you’ll need to be at least 21 to provide foster care, although there is no upper cap when it comes to age.

You will need to be in good health and physical fitness to perform your role and be emotionally available to the child or young person in your care. You won’t need to own your own house, but you’ll need to provide the foster child you look after with a bedroom of their own.

Can you be a foster carer if you’re single?

Providing you can meet the requirements outlined above, you can foster a child regardless of whether you are single or have a partner.

The prospect of fostering as a single parent can seem more daunting from the outside as you can’t share the challenge with a partner. Being a foster parent is a demanding role to take on both emotionally as well as socially, and the idea of not dividing the load with someone might feel intimidating.

At Beacon Fostering, we ensure our single foster parents never feel alone and supply a wide range of advice and support, along with access to a community of foster carers. This includes a round-the-clock service so you can find the help you need 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Can you work full time and be a single foster parent?

Single foster parents can work full or part-time, but they require a role with flexibility. This requires understanding from their employer when they need time off, but also from their support team, like family and friends who can step in to help when needed.

Many carers who select single parent fostering choose it to start a new and more rewarding career while being able to remain at home – often because they already have children of their own to look after. Effectively, fostering becomes a career where your job is to care for the foster child or young person. Instead of spending time away from home while you work to support your existing family, you earn money in your role as a parent.

Are you a single parent seeking to foster?

As a leading independent fostering agency serving the northwest of England, at Beacon Fostering, we work with both single foster parents and those with a partner.

If you are a single parent interested in fostering, you can reach out to us – whether you are new to providing foster care, informed and keen to start or simply seeking to transfer agencies. Contact us now to benefit from our nurturing network.