How long does the process take?
The most common question people ask before they apply. The honest answer is that most people are approved within six to nine months of making first contact with an agency. Some move faster, some take longer. The main factors that affect the pace are how quickly the Form F assessment can be completed, how long references and checks take to come back, and when a panel slot becomes available.
That can sound daunting. But once you understand what is actually happening during those months, most people feel reassured rather than put off. The process is thorough because it needs to be. The goal is to make sure that every child placed in your home is placed with the right person at the right time.
The key thing to know: The process is not designed to catch you out. It is designed to understand you. Social workers carrying out assessments are not looking for perfection. They are looking for honesty, self-awareness, and genuine commitment.
The ten stages of the fostering application
Every agency follows the same broad structure, governed by the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011. Here is what each stage involves.
1
30 minutes to 1 hour
Initial enquiry
You make contact with an agency by phone, email, or online form. This is a no-obligation conversation. The agency will ask you a few basic questions and send you information about their process. Use this call to ask questions of your own. How the agency communicates in this first interaction tells you something about how they operate.
2
1 to 2 hours
Information session
Most agencies invite prospective carers to attend an information session, either in person or online. You will hear more about the types of fostering, the assessment process, and what life as a foster carer looks like. You may meet existing carers. This is a useful opportunity to get a feel for the agency's culture before committing to anything.
3
1 to 2 hours
Initial home visit
A social worker or recruitment officer visits your home. This is not a formal assessment it is a relaxed conversation about your motivations, your household, and whether fostering seems like a good fit. Do not worry about having a spotless home. They are there to talk to you, not inspect your skirting boards. Ask plenty of questions. This is your chance to assess them too.
4
1 to 2 hours
Formal application
If both sides are happy to proceed, you complete a formal application form covering your background, family, employment, and living situation. This triggers the formal checks and begins the assessment process. Keep a copy of everything you submit.
5
2 to 4 weeks
Background checks and references
The agency carries out an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check on all adults in the household, a medical assessment arranged through your GP, and three personal or professional references. These run in parallel with the assessment rather than holding it up, but delays in any of them can slow things down. Respond to requests from your GP and referees promptly.
6
3 to 4 days over several weeks
Skills to Foster training
All prospective carers attend a pre-approval training course, usually called Skills to Foster. It covers child development, attachment, trauma, managing behaviour, and the practicalities of fostering. It is delivered by the agency, either in person or online, over several sessions. It is also a useful opportunity to meet other people going through the process.
7
3 to 6 months the main piece of work
Form F assessment
This is the heart of the process. A qualified social worker makes three or four home visits to build a comprehensive picture of you, your life, and your suitability to foster. They will explore your childhood and family background, your relationships, your support network, your values and parenting approach, and how you have dealt with challenges and loss. They are not looking for a perfect life story. They are looking for self-awareness, honesty, and resilience. The completed Form F report is presented to the fostering panel.
8
Half a day
Fostering panel
The fostering panel is an independent group of professionals typically including social workers, an independent chair, and sometimes a foster carer who review your Form F report and make a recommendation about your approval. You will usually be invited to attend for part of the panel. They may ask you questions. This is not a tribunal. It is a professional conversation. The panel makes a recommendation; the agency or local authority makes the final decision.
9
1 to 2 weeks
Decision and approval
Following the panel, the agency's decision-maker considers the panel's recommendation and makes a formal decision. If approved, you receive written confirmation of your approval, including details of the age range and number of children you are approved for. If not approved, you have the right to challenge the decision.
10
Varies
First placement
After approval your supervising social worker will begin working with you on matching. How quickly a placement comes depends on the type of fostering you are approved for, the children currently needing placements, and how well your household profile matches their needs. Some carers receive a placement within days of approval. Others wait several weeks or months. Emergency carers tend to be placed quickly.
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What can speed the process up?
Being organised is the single biggest factor. References and medical reports are often the things that cause delays. Chase your referees and GP early rather than waiting for them to respond in their own time. Respond to requests from your social worker promptly, and keep your diary available for assessment visits.
Prior experience with children whether as a parent, teacher, youth worker, or in another care role tends to help the assessment flow more quickly. Social workers can draw on concrete examples rather than hypothetical ones.
Being honest and self-aware throughout also helps. Assessors who have to work hard to get genuine responses from an applicant take longer. Those who find you open and reflective move through the process more confidently.
What can slow the process down?
Delays in DBS checks or GP reports are common and largely outside your control. Health disclosures that require further investigation, a complicated personal history that needs more time to explore, or concerns that arise during the assessment can all add time.
Do not try to manage or minimise your history. If something difficult happened in your past, being upfront about it and showing how you have processed it is far better than having it come out later. Assessors are experienced professionals. They have heard most things. What they are looking for is how you reflect on your experiences, not whether those experiences were straightforward.
The Form F assessment what it really involves
The Form F is what most people find daunting going in and manageable coming out. It is a structured series of conversations with a social worker who builds a written report covering your whole life your upbringing, relationships, values, health, finances, and motivation to foster.
It typically involves three or four home visits of two to three hours each. Your partner, if you have one, will be included. Your children may be spoken to separately. The social worker will also contact your references and review the results of your checks.
The finished report is your advocate at panel. A good social worker writes it in a way that presents your strengths clearly and contextualises any concerns honestly. The relationship with your assessing social worker matters and a good agency will ensure you are well supported through the process.
For a deeper look at the Form F, see our dedicated page: What is a Form F assessment?
People also ask
QCan I apply to more than one agency at the same time?
Technically yes, but most agencies ask you not to be assessed by more than one agency simultaneously. It is better to research agencies thoroughly before committing to one rather than running parallel assessments.
QWhat happens if I am not approved?
If you are not approved, you have the right to challenge the decision through the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM), an independent body that can review the panel's recommendation. Not being approved by one agency does not prevent you from applying to another, though the reasons for the original decision will be relevant.
QDo I need to have experience with children to apply?
No. Prior experience with children is helpful and may speed up the assessment, but it is not a requirement. Many first-time foster carers have no formal childcare background. What matters is your attitude, capacity, and commitment.
QCan I change agencies after I am approved?
Yes. Foster carers do move between agencies. If you are unhappy with your current agency, you can apply to a new one. The new agency will carry out their own assessment, though your existing approval and experience will be taken into account. It is a significant step and worth thinking through carefully.
QWill the assessment look at my finances?
Yes, as part of the broader picture of your stability and circumstances. Agencies want to understand whether you are in a stable financial position, not whether you are wealthy. See our page on
fostering with debt for more detail.