The Matching Process Explained

After the fostering assessment process and panel, matching is the next crucial step towards welcoming a child into your home.

At ACS, we’ve seen firsthand the difference that matching children with the right foster parents has on everyone in the household, leading to greater stability and happier foster families.

That’s why we don’t match children with just any family; we work hard to ensure they’re matched with the right family.

Learn more about the steps we take here at ACS to welcome a child into your home below.

Step-by-step from referral to matching

Step 1: We receive a referral

When a child is identified as needing a foster home, the local authority will try to find them one within its own pool of foster parents. When this isn’t possible, they’ll refer the child to an independent fostering agency (IFA) like us here at ACS.

Our referral teams will receive lots of information about the child, including details such as the child’s name, date of birth, gender, language, religion, and culture. The referral will also cover the child’s experiences, along with their physical, emotional, social, educational, and behavioural needs.

Step 2: Comparing the referral with digital profiles

Our referrals team will compare the information provided by the local authority about the child against available foster parents’ knowledge, skills, experience, culture, religion, location, and preferences to find the right foster family.

All this information is collected during your fostering assessment and used to create your digital profile, which is updated regularly as you grow in your role. This makes it easier for our referrals team to quickly see which foster parents are available and whether they’d be a suitable match.

Step 3: Contacting the potential match

If our referrals team think you’d be a good match for a child, they’ll contact you to let you know via email, so you have the chance to read about the young person. They’ll then call you to discuss the child with you in more detail, sharing all the information on the referral so you can decide whether you agree to the match.

We’ll give you time to have a proper think about whether welcoming this particular child into your home is the right decision. Your supervising social worker (SSW) will also be notified of the potential match, and because they’ll know you well, they’ll be able to offer their support and guidance to help you decide whether the match is right for you.

We’ll never pressure you into saying ‘Yes’ to a match and will happily answer any of your questions to help you make an informed decision.

Step 4: We’ll send your details to the local authority

If you agree that you’d be a good match for the child and want to move forward, we’ll send your digital profile to the local authority for consideration.

Often, local authorities will receive more than one match from IFAs, so they’ll compare your profile to that of other foster parents before deciding who would provide the child with the most suitable home.

Step 5: Planning and introductions

If the local authority agrees that you’d be the most suitable foster parent for the child, everyone will work together to make a plan for the child’s care.

In some cases, it might not be possible for you to meet the child before they move into your home, such as if you provide emergency foster care because the child needs a home urgently.

However, if you’re going to offer the child a long-term foster home, then we’ll work with the local authority and anyone else involved in their care, such as their emergency or short-term foster parents, to arrange introductions before they move into your home.

Step 6: Welcoming your foster child home

Once a match has been agreed, and where possible, you’ve been introduced to your foster child, they’ll move into your home.

We’ll help you create a family book, which usually includes photos of family members, pets, and their bedroom, along with a few little details about everyone, such as hobbies, interests, and a funny fact.

When children move into care or to a new foster home, they’re likely to feel scared and confused; after all, you’ll be strangers to them. Creating a family book can help put them at ease because they’ll know who everyone is and what to expect before they turn up at your door.

Faith-based and cultural matching

Faith, culture, and language are all huge parts of a child’s identity, and at ACS, we believe that children shouldn’t have these parts stripped away from them simply because they’ve entered care.

That’s why, when you foster with us, we work hard to match children with foster families who share their religion, understand their culture, and speak their language. For example, if we receive a referral for a Sikh child, we’ll do our best to match them with a Sikh foster family. If a sanctuary-seeking child needs a home, we’ll do all we can to match them with a family who speaks the same language and understands their culture.

This provides children with continuity and familiarity as they begin this new chapter of their lives, bringing them comfort while they try to make sense of their circumstances.

If we don’t have a foster family that shares the same religion, culture, or language as the child available, we’ll match them with a family that’s willing to learn about their needs and provide specialist training to support them.

Supporting your whole family

When you join ACS, you’ll receive wrap-around support from the get-go, not just from your supervising social worker, but from our whole team of fostering professionals.

Our referrals team will really get to know you, which means they’ll only match you with children they believe would be the right fit for you and your family.

You’ll also receive support from our highly qualified local teams, and we organise regular support group meetings where you’ll have the chance to get to know other foster parents in your local area.

If you’re fostering with your own children, they’ll be included in all our events and activities, helping them meet other children in similar family set-ups and enjoy the fostering experience alongside you.

At ACS, our community is here to help you and your family thrive on your fostering journey.

Fostering and Religion

Find out more about our faith-based fostering service. Choose your faith or culture below

Ready to help a child in need?

At ACS, we receive hundreds of referrals for children in desperate need of a safe, loving, and stable home every single day. If you think you could help a child by welcoming them into your home, we’d love to hear from you.

Call us today on 0800 9177 937 or submit an enquiry below to learn more about becoming a foster parent, including our training, support, and fostering allowances.

Think you’d make a great foster parent?

Whether you’re ready to start your journey or just want to chat to an expert, we’re here to talk.

Enquiry

You are required to have a spare bedroom that’s always available to a foster child. The spare room cannot be shared, and must be big enough to fit a single bed, a wardrobe and a chest of drawers.

Do you have a spare room?*

To be approved as a foster carer in the UK, you must be a British citizen or have the legal right to remain in the UK without restrictions that would prevent fostering.

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The following questions are intended to help us understand your experience with children. Please note that prior experience is not required to become a foster carer, as full training will be provided.

Have you had children of your own?*

Do you have professional experience of working with children?*

Have you had any prior experience of fostering, such as being a foster parent or growing up in a fostering family?*

Have you ever adopted a child?*

Are you happy to receive regular fostering news from us?*

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