Navigating the Journey to Becoming a Foster Parent in 2026
As a new year begins, many of us look for ways to make a real difference—and fostering could be yours. In this blog, we explore why 2026 is the perfect time to become a foster parent, what the journey involves, and how to take the first step toward changing a child’s life.
It’s a new year, which means you may be reflecting on 2025, wondering whether you’d like to do anything differently in 2026. Maybe you want to get fit, learn a new language, or spend more time with family and friends.
But if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to help your community and make the world a better place, have you considered fostering?
Whether it’s been on your mind for a while and you just haven’t taken the plunge, or you’ve never really thought about it and want to learn more, join us to find out why 2026 is the perfect time to start fostering, along with how to begin this exciting new journey.
Why is 2026 the perfect time to foster?
Foster parents are in high demand
Latest figures from The Fostering Network reveal that around 70,000 children live in foster homes in the UK. Each year, 36,000 children enter care, but there aren’t enough foster families to match these numbers.
Behind these numbers are real children, many of whom have experienced abuse, neglect, or other adverse childhood experiences, which affect their whole well-being. From forming relationships and managing their emotions to concentrating at school and the way they communicate, they face challenges every day.
By becoming a foster parent in 2026, you’ll help the most vulnerable children and young people stay with their siblings, live near the communities they know, and prevent them from having to move into residential care.
You’ll also support them by providing stability, safety, and a loving foster home, where they can heal from their past, be themselves, and look forward to the future.
A career that truly makes a difference
When you become a foster parent, you start a rewarding new career where you’ll truly make a difference. And when you choose to foster with ACS, not only will you join an agency that specialises in faith-based fostering, but you’ll also benefit from:
- Regular supervision: Your dedicated supervising social worker will meet with you regularly to provide their advice, guidance, and general support.
- Supportive local teams: From social workers and trainers to administrative support and managers, our highly qualified local teams will support the well-being of both you and the children you foster.
- Peer group meetings: You’ll have regular opportunities to connect with other foster parents where you can share your experiences and learn from one another.
- Community resources: We have long-standing connections with local mosques, synagogues, churches and other community groups, who’ll offer additional support on your journey.
- Activities and events: We organise activities and events for your whole family throughout the year.
- 24/7 helpline: You’ll never have to handle anything alone; we’re always at the end of the phone, whether it’s noon or night.
- Fostering allowance: You’ll receive a generous fostering allowance and some great additional perks as a reward for the incredible work you do.
You don’t need any experience to foster because our ongoing training will teach you everything you need to know about caring for a child who’s had a difficult start.
And while you’re changing a child’s life, we’ll be supporting your professional and personal development, so that by the end of 2026, you’ll feel proud of how far you’ve come and look forward to where fostering takes you next.
Steps to becoming a foster parent in 2026
Ready to start your fostering journey? Let’s take a look at the different steps to becoming a foster parent in 2026, as well as some tips to help you through each stage of the process.
Step 1: Register your interest with us
To begin your fostering journey, call us on 0800 9177 937 and speak with one of our friendly fostering advisors who’ll point you in the right direction and help get you started. You can also fill out our online form, and we’ll contact you.
Top tip: Don’t hold back on asking any question that comes to mind when you speak with our team. From finances to the ins and outs of foster parent life, we’d love to answer all of your questions to help you decide if fostering is right for you.
Step 2: Have a home visit with our team
We’ll arrange for a member of our team to visit you at your home or talk to you via video call.
During this visit, we’ll ask you some questions, answer yours, and discuss fostering with ACS in more detail. We’ll also take a look at your spare bedroom to ensure that it’s suitable for a young person.
There’s no commitment at this stage of the process, and if you decide now isn’t the right time for you and your family to start fostering, that is perfectly okay!
Top tip: Note down any questions you’d like to ask our team member before they arrive.
Step 3: Apply to foster
After your initial visit, if you’re a good fit to foster, we’ll ask you to complete an application form. At this stage, you’ll share some basic personal details, such as who lives in your home, relevant work experience, health, and finances.
We’ll also ask for your consent to proceed with the application, after which you’ll move on to the assessment phase of your journey to becoming a foster parent.
Top tip: If you need help with your application, contact our team for support.
Step 4: Your Form F assessment
Once your application is approved, you’ll begin your formal fostering assessment with one of our social workers. They’ll visit you at your home 8-10 times to discuss your experiences, motivations to foster, and to observe your family life.
They’ll put the information gathered into a document known as a ‘Form F’, which will detail everything about your life and what makes you a great candidate to foster.
During this stage, you’ll also complete our pre-approval training, which includes a mandatory three-day course where you’ll learn all the basics of fostering.
Top tip: Be completely honest about your life and your personal history. Some of the questions we ask may cover sensitive topics, but they’ll be handled with care and consideration by your assessor.
Step 5: Checks and references
As part of your assessment, we’ll conduct a variety of checks and references behind the scenes to ensure your suitability to foster. These will include a DBS, health and safety checks on your home, and a pet assessment to ensure that your pets are safe around children.
Top tip: We ask every person over 18 in your household to have a DBS check; this includes any adult children who still live at home.
Step 6: Fostering Panel
The final step of the approval process is a fostering panel meeting with a group of independent fostering specialists. They’ll review your Form F report and make a recommendation to our team at ACS about whether we should approve you as a foster parent.
Once you receive a recommendation, the final decision will be made here at ACS by our Agency Decision Maker. You’ll then receive a letter confirming your approval.
Top tip: Your assessing social will be by your side, helping you answer any questions the panel might ask. You are also welcome to bring along a loved one to your panel meeting for support.
Step 7: Matching
Here at ACS, we focus on matching children with families who share their culture or religion, supporting their sense of identity and belonging.
Our referrals team use a careful matching process to send potential matches your way. Sometimes this might include children whose culture or religion differs from your own, but you’ll receive training and additional support if you do decide to agree to the match.
Top tip: We’ll help you support the needs of children from various backgrounds. You’ll also have a whole network of multi-faith support as a part of our community of foster parents.
Step 8: Begin your journey together
When you find a suitable match, you’ll confirm this with your Supervising Social Worker and a Placement Officer, who’ll arrange for the child to meet with you.
It can be nerve-wracking for both parties when you meet for the first time and welcome them into your home. But we’ll be by your side, and our training will teach you how to manage introductions.
Top tip: Playing close attention to a child’s referral can help you get to know them a little before they arrive and give you time to provide some home comforts. For example, if you learn from their social worker that they love a particular cartoon, you could buy a soft toy of the character for their bedroom.
Ready to foster? Let’s get started!
If you want 2026 to be the year you transform a child’s life, call us on 0800 9177 937 to chat about becoming a foster parent. You can also discover what it’s really like to foster by checking out our latest blogs and foster parent stories.
Together, we can help more children have the home life they deserve, the chance to reach their full potential, and a future to look forward to.
