Fostering with a disability

Each application will be assessed on an individual basis and will depend on the nature of your disability. The most important thing is your ability to care for a child or young person. If the needs of the child cannot be met under your care, this will affect your ability to foster.

It’s inspiring for young people to see how living with a disability doesn’t stop you doing what you want to do or achieving what you want to achieve. Action for Children Fostering values our foster carers with disabilities and see them as positive role models for our cared for young people.

It’s important for you to know that fostering will not affect your disability allowances in any way.

Action for Children Fostering provides outstanding support and training for our foster carers with disabilities. A dedicated team will be available to you whenever you need us, 24/7, all year round.

• The process for becoming a foster carer is mostly the same whether you have a disability or not.
• You will have a medical arranged by you with your own GP (Action for Children Fostering will cover any expenses you may have for this).
• The outcome of the medical will determine if you are suitable to apply to become a foster carer.
• Our assessor will then discuss your disability in greater detail with you and how it may, or may not, impact on caring for a young person.
• This is to ensure that everyone’s needs are met (yours and the foster child’s) and that you are being given the tailored, specialist support that you might need.
• We will talk about any day to day challenges that you might be experiencing to ensure that caring for a foster child would not adversely affect your physical or mental health.

We recognise that not all disabilities are visible so it’s really important to tell us if you have a disability as soon as possible. We want to give you the best advice we can on how to proceed with your application. We also want to ensure that we are giving you an honest, accurate and realistic picture on whether fostering is possible in your circumstances.

We'll take great care to ensure we match you/your family with an appropriate foster child. Your particular circumstances, for instance, may mean that a young child would not be suitable but a teenager would be ideal.

Our buddy system, mentors, support groups; as well as our team of professionals, including psychologists, nurses and social workers are all on hand to ensure that fostering is a positive experience for both you and the young people you may care for.

We understand that having any type of disability or impairment can be extremely challenging. We believe that in these circumstances the desire to want to foster a child makes you even more exceptional.

Your insight and experience in facing difficulties will often give you a greater understanding and empathy for cared for children who have undoubtedly faced difficulties and trauma in their lives. We believe that you can help them to thrive and guide them to a better future.

If you're considering fostering with a disability, please do get in touch.