Who can foster
We need people from all different backgrounds who can bring their own unique qualities and life experience to foster care.
"So many different kinds of people are eligible to foster. My wife and I don't fit the conventional mold – we're a lesbian couple. I have a disability and we have a multitude of animals in our home. But if you have room in your heart and your home to be able to foster, that's a great foundation. If you're thinking about it, why not look into it?"
Marisol Carreno, a foster carer in West Lothian.
Read Marisol's fostering story.
You can apply to be a foster carer if you:
- are over 18 – there is no upper age limit
- live in the UK full-time
- have a spare bedroom
Foster carers can:
- own or rent their home
- have children in their home already
- be in work (for some kinds of foster care)
We welcome applications from all ethnic groups and religions, as well as those who are married or single, regardless of sexuality or gender.
"I'm a single gay man, which might not fit with people's view of a stereotypical foster carer, but it's now such a broad selection of people. I saw that first-hand going through the process."
James Snowden, a foster carer in Perth and Kinross.
Fostering is not about getting everything right all the time. Or having all the answers. It’s about offering the care, stability, and empathy that children and young people need in a loving foster home.