The first step is to contact the Brighton and Hove Fostering Service. You can do this via e-mail fostering.adoption@brighton-hove.gov.uk or tel: 01273 295444. We will send you an information pack where you can learn more about fostering and what you need to do.

When you have read the pack we will contact you again to answer any additional questions you have and will invite to attend one of our regular Information Sessions, which provides you with the opportunity to hear directly from experienced foster carers and staff more about fostering.

If you are keen to go ahead, we then visit you at home to discuss your interest in fostering in more detail and what type of fostering would best work for you and your family.

Following this we invite you to attend training, and then undertake an assessment of you and your family as prospective foster carers.

The process is a thorough one but this is because we feel that it is essential that we prepare you as fully as possible to be a foster carer and that you have sufficient time to consider the implications of fostering for you and your family.

Many carers say that the assessment stage is both enjoyable and rewarding giving them the opportunity to reflect on their own experiences and what they have to offer as a family as well as how fostering will affect them.

There are a number of stages to becoming approved as a foster carer:

• Information session
• Home visit
• Preparation groups
• Fostering assessment
• Fostering report
• Fostering Panel

Information session

You will be given the opportunity to come along to an information session where you will have the chance to meet some of our experienced foster carers and staff and find out more about what fostering entails. Details of our next information session can be found on our home page - Home. 

Home visit

We will then arrange to visit you at home so that we can have a more detailed discussion about all aspects of fostering and together decide if you want to proceed to our preparation group training.

Preparation groups

We run regular 'skills to foster' preparation groups that involve input from experienced carers. The preparation group enables you to learn more about what is involved in fostering and to meet other people who are going through the process.

Fostering assessment

If you wish to proceed, and we feel that you could have what it takes to foster, we will then undertake a fostering assessment. The assessment does involve a number of checks to ensure that you are suitable to foster.

Fostering Report

The social worker will pull all the resulting information together in a report, which is shared with you. You will have decided with your social worker what type of fostering, age and number of children is right for you and your family.

Fostering Panel

This report is presented by your social worker to our Fostering Panel, which you will be invited to attend. We work with you to carry out this assessment process as speedily as possible and aim to complete this within six months.