Frequently asked questions

Fostering is providing a safe, warm and secure environment for children and young persons through them coming to live with you for a few days, months or for years. This is usually because their parents are unable to care for them. There are many different types of fostering based on the needs of each child or young person.

This is a dedicated and caring organisation, like Beacon Fostering, that provides support to children and young persons through recruiting, training and developing foster carers.

Fostering agencies are often referred to as IFAs (independent fostering agencies) and Local Authorities work in partnership with IFAs to place their children, that they have responsibility for, in a safe and secure environment.

Beacon Fostering is a privately owned company with a family ethos focused on its foster carers and children.

The process takes between 3 to 6 months from the start of your enquiry through to your approval.

The first step is an initial telephone call together to discuss your interest and suitability. We then move onto an initial visit, which can be face to face or through a video call. This takes around 2 hours and can be completed quickly from your enquiry, depending on when you are free. The stage that takes longer is the Form F assessment – this is the full assessment of your suitably to be foster carers. This involves visits or video calls with you. When this is completed, you then attend panel for your approval.

Fostering is entirely different from adoption. Fostering can be short-term, say for a few days, or it can last for an extended period across several years. Adoption, however, is permanent, where the relevant court hearing will transfer the parental rights for that child or young person to their adoptive parents. Their adoptive family is fully responsible for their support and care on a permanent basis. The child or young person may choose to take the family name also.

There is a significant shortage of foster carers across England. The number of children coming into care is increasing, and each year foster carers retire or have a change in circumstances leading to them stopping fostering. The current figures show that 6,000 foster carers are needed across England (Source: Fostering Network).

Please contact us to make a difference through becoming foster carers!

Children come into care with their local authority when they cannot remain at home. This is usually because it is not safe. This can be for a range of reasons, but commonly these include neglect, abuse or because the child or young person’s parent (or guardian) cannot look after them and keep them safe overall.

You would receive extensive support from Beacon Fostering. We provide bespoke support for each foster carer based on your needs, experience, types of children you will be supporting and other considerations. Support includes your competitive foster carer payment, dedicated social worker, access to therapeutic intervention, events, support groups, membership of Foster Talk, out of hours contact and targeted training. You will also have access to respite arrangements when you need a break or time away from fostering.

Yes, we welcome applications and enquiries from everyone. This is regardless of your race, age, gender, background or sexual orientation. There are key requirements, however, including:

• Need for a spare room

• Being aged 21 or above

• Being fully committed to be a foster carer and wanting to change a child’s life

• Having British Citizenship or the right to remain

Practical considerations are relevant in that you can take the child or young person to school or take them to their place for outdoor sports or activities.

This would not always exclude you from being a foster carer. It would involve a review of the nature of your conviction, timing and any other relevant information. We would complete a DBS (police) check as part of your application process. It is best to be upfront and honest with any information early on in your enquiry.

If you have any questions, please just contact us and we can discuss this with you.

There are no specific qualifications required to be foster carers. It helps to have education qualifications, such as GCSEs or O-Levels, but they are not essential. It is more important on your life skills and commitment to care for children and young persons. Good communication is important, both verbally and written.

Yes, you don’t have to be married, live with a partner or be in a relationship to be a foster carer. It is important that you have time for fostering overall and have considered the impact of fostering overall relating to your finances or personal considerations.

There are no exclusions from fostering based on your sexual orientation. We welcome applications from everyone, and there are many LGBT foster carers.

You can still become a foster carer, however you would have to be happy not to smoke in the fostering household. Your approval terms would be for children from age 5 and above.

1. Initial enquiry – via telephone, email or call back request

2. Initial visit – to discuss your interest further if you are suitable to foster and wish to progress after learning more

3. Fostering assessment – this is completed by a skilled assessor to cover all your fostering information and background

4. Checks and references – these are completed alongside your assessment

5. Training – this is completed alongside your assessment

6. Presentation to panel – your assessment is presented to panel and you also attend. Don’t worry, we will support you here

7. Decision for approval – is taken by our Agency Decision Maker

8. Approval – you are approved after the decision is completed. Congratulations would be shared, and a warm welcome to the Beacon Fostering family!

You receive a fostering weekly payment, and this is based on the needs of each child or young person placed with you and the fostering placement type.

From the weekly payment, you cover the allowances for the child or young person, including their food, clothing, health, activities, transport and other personal needs, and then remaining balance is to be retained as your “reward” element.

Beacon Fostering has competitive fostering payments, and we provide up to £750 per week for therapeutic placements.

• Respite payments – to provide a payment when you take a break from fostering the child or young person with you for a short period (for example, 1 week or 2 weeks)

• Extra support – this can be for additional costs to support the child or young person

• Beacon Sporting Chance – this is extra payments to support a child or young person’s hobbies or sporting activities

• Recruitment referral payment – this is when you recommend other existing or new foster carers to the Beacon Fostering family (following their approval, the payment would be completed)

• Other one-off payments – these can be exceptional or specific circumstances, and they can always be discussed. For example, if you wanted to take the child or young person with you on holiday, but the costs were high

• Under 11 - £375 per child

• Over 11 - £450 per child

You may also be entitled to National Insurance credits, and these can contribute toward your State Pension.

We recommend you taking relevant tax advice and the above is for information only.

Your income from fostering is “self-employed” for tax purposes and you would need to complete a self-assessment tax return to cover this. You will be members of Foster Talk and they can provide help on tax areas and help complete your tax return for a relatively small cost.

For child benefits for your own children, you can continue to claim this and for other children that live with you. There are no benefits for children placed with you through fostering, because you are receiving the fostering payment. It is best to review your financial position when considering fostering and we can help provide information to assist you. We have a full payment guide on fostering with Beacon and what you would be paid.