Fostering FAQs

For most types of fostering, you will need a spare room for the young person that you care for. However, if you only foster under 3s, they can sleep in a cot in your own room meaning that an extra room won’t be necessary.

We have foster carers from across the generations, providing love and security to our county's children and young people. As long as you’re over 21, we’d love for you to join our fostering community.

Yes. Many of our foster carers tell us they don’t do it for the money but we’d like to reassure you that fostering won’t leave you out of pocket. Every day that you are caring for a child in your home, you receive a payment that covers the expenses of looking after the child. The amount you receive is based on the age of the child. This allowance covers all normal expenditure for the care of the child, including food, transport to school, school meals, school trips, school uniforms, clothing, toiletries, haircuts, toys, activities, outings, household costs and pocket money.

We also make sure that you can help children celebrate their birthdays and religious festivals and enjoy family holidays by paying additional allowances.

You will also receive a generous fee in recognition of your time and skill as a foster carer. This isn’t a salary but it does recognise the professional nature of fostering.

Furry, scaly, big or small, your pets can play a huge role in the fostering home, offering comfort and support to the young people you care for. When you start the application process, we'll chat to you about your pets, to make sure we're keeping everyone safe and informed during your fostering journey.

Watch Becky's fostering story about her big, beautiful dogs!

Single people form a significant percentage of our fostering community at GCC and provide great support and care to many of our children in care. You will need to think carefully about your support network and how you might manage tricky times, particularly if you are employed full time.

Your sexual/gender identity will have no bearing on your application or fostering experience with GCC. We’re proud of our diverse community and would love to welcome you! Read a little about fostering as an LGBT couple here

We understand that when you foster, you foster as a family. This is why we do what we can to offer support to all members of the fostering home, including your own children. During Skills to Foster, we have an entire session dedicated to birth children of foster carers, and our Kids4KidsScheme (K4K) offers support and fun activities for birth children across the year.

Many of our foster carers emphasise how fostering has had a positive influence on their own children, who are now more understanding and empathetic towards others.

Click the link below to find out more about our Kids for Kids group.

Working full-time isn't necessarily a barrier to becoming a foster carer, with over a 1/3 of foster carers across the UK working alongside their fostering commitments.  In fact, with different types of fostering available, there's sure to be one that can fit in with your lifestyle.

Absolutely! Throughout the application process (and beyond!) we’ll get to know you and what ages/gender you feel able to best support. Typically, you’ll be approved to foster 0-18, but you get to decide who you foster.

You can find out more about different types of fostering by clicking the link below.

Our number one priority at all times is to safeguard the children in the care of Gloucestershire County Council. Simultaneously, we need to ensure that fostering is right for you.

Once you have decided that you'd like to process with the application process, there are a few checks that we need to carry out. We'll require a medical, and also a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to get a copy of your criminal record. This is called ‘basic disclosure’. (See FAQ about criminal records).

As part of our standard checks, we speak to people who have played an important role in your life, including former partners or spouses. This helps us build a full picture of your experience and suitability as a foster carer. We understand this can feel sensitive, or daunting. It isn’t about judging your past—it’s simply to make sure we can provide the best support for you and the children you may care for. One of our team will come to visit you for an in-depth discussion in your home. You can raise any issues about current or past relationships at any point during the assessment process. These conversations are always handled with care and confidentiality.

A criminal record won’t automatically exclude you from fostering with GCC – It depends on what it was for. During your application, we’ll ask for your DBS (disclosure and barring service) clearance. Open communication during this will help move the process along.

A large portion of the population rent, so it would be impractical for us to expect our foster carers not too. We simply need approval from your landlord that they're happy for you to foster, and then we are good to go.