This means you are caring for someone else's child on behalf of a local authority or adoption agency and are responsible for them, while their own parents are unable to look after them.

Sometimes foster carers will look after more than one child from the same family.

You don't have the same legal responsibilities as the parent has for the child.

Foster carers sometimes work in partnership with natural parents who may still want to be involved, and who maintain responsibility for their children and will continue to take some day-to-day decisions about their child.

It is important for foster carers to be clear from the start that they are not trying to replace parents but help reunite the family.

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How old are foster children?

Fostered children can age from babies up to 18.

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How long do children stay with a foster carer?

Children can be fostered for a few hours or up to several years, depending on what is seen in the interests of the child and what kinds of placements are available. Many of the children will return to their own families.

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Are all fostered children disturbed and difficult?

No, but every fostered child is facing a crisis in their life and this is obviously upsetting for them.

They have had to cope with moving out of their own home into a foster home - in some cases, several times. This means they need sensitive care.

Each child will react differently to this stress and loss. Some may be aggressive and noisy, others over polite and willing to please. Some withdraw, while others seem unaffected.

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Do I have to be married?

No. Most agencies or local authorities will accept people with all sorts of circumstances.

They can be young or more mature; home-owning or renting; single, married or co-habiting; with or without children of their own; from all ethnic groups and sexuality; and working, retired or unemployed.

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Do you need special skills to be a foster carer?

No. Foster carers are ordinary people who have an interest in helping children and their families.

They do need to be patient and able to understand the feelings of children who have been rejected, unwanted or abused.

A good sense of humour is often handy, too.

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Will I receive training?

Would-be carers are expected to attend a training courses. These are likely to include information about working with parents and children, understanding abuse, managing challenging behaviour and dealing with attachment and loss.

Once approved, foster carers will be offered further training and should have a support worker assigned to them to help them resolve problems.

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Can I foster if I have a criminal record?

Police checks are made when people apply to become foster carers. Applicants with any offence against a child or any violent crime are unlikely to be selected.

But having a criminal record won't necessarily disqualify someone from becoming a foster carer.

Much will depend on the type and circumstances of the offence and how long ago it was committed.

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How long does the assessment procedure take?

This varies according to the local authority. Many are completed within a few months. For a more accurate estimate of the time it takes to become approved you would need to contact your local fostering agency.

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What support will I get?

Foster carers have a specialist social worker to support them. Local authorities would also have various support schemes available to both foster carers and also the children being fostered.

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What sort of home must I have?

Foster carers live in all kinds of homes from large detached houses to two-bedroom flats. All a fostered child needs is a bed and somewhere to keep their own personal possessions.

Some can share a room with other children; others will need their own room. A room of their own is better and often the preferred choice with social services.

It is important that the whole family, especially your children if you have them, agree and want to foster a child. This is vital to the success of fostering.

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Will there be contact with the child's family?

Quite often there will be contact with the child's natural parents. These children have already had to deal with being separated from their family and home, so where appropriate ongoing contact with members of the child's birth family is often encouraged.

It is usually better for them to be fostered close to where they live so they can keep in touch with family and friends and stay at the same school.

The contact is preferably by visits but also by writing letters and phone calls. A social worker will negotiate this with you, as it may mean the child's parents spending time at your home.

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Do I get paid?

You will receive a foster care allowance which is not taxable. This is to cover the cost of meeting the child's day-to-day needs.

The amount varies depending on the local authority and the age of the child. For more detailed information you would need to contact your local fostering agency.

In some special cases an adoption allowance might be paid, for example, so that brothers and sisters can stay together, or to help with the additional costs of caring for a child with a disability.

You can also get grants for any essential start-up items such as beds, bedding and baby equipment. You may also get other allowances for example to cover the cost of holidays or clothes or school uniforms.

How much will depend on your local authority and the type of care you offer. This income may be taxable.

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Does fostering lead to adoption?

Sometimes foster care can lead to adoption although it is primarily meant to provide temporary care to children.

The child's needs are very carefully considered which can mean that another family may adopt the child, and not those people who have provided the child with long-term foster care.

Although some foster carers do go on to adopt the child, this is never an automatic outcome, which can be upsetting for the foster carers who become attached to a particular child.

Fostering is not a quick route to adoption. If adoption is what you want apply as an adopter from the beginning.

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If I've had depression in the past would that affect my chances of fostering?

It is impossible to answer your question because it really depends on your medical history i.e, timings, severity, long-term diagnosis, etc.

Fostering can be very demanding as children often have behavioural problems therefore social services often look closely at whether people who have a history of depression are suitable to deal with the huge physical and emotional demands that fostering can require.

You should be able to get more details from the agency that put you through the approval process.

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