Can I work and foster?
Some foster parents can combine work with fostering, find out if its possible for you.
Fostering asks for a lot of your time, and we expect our foster parents to be there for children - night and day, including taking them to appointments and looking after them at home when they’re too ill for school.
Most of the training and events we arrange for foster parents also take place during the working week, so while you’ll definitely have time to yourself, it probably won’t be enough to also take on a challenging job. Besides, the payments and allowances we make to foster parents are designed, in part, to remove the pressure of having to work. This can be a real benefit for many people, including single parents.
That doesn’t mean we’ll say no to anyone who wants or needs to carry on working.
We base our decision on your individual circumstances, including where you work and its demands on your time, the flexibility of your employer, your ability to leave work in emergencies, and whether you have a support network to help if necessary. It’s also easier to work if you are fostering as part of a couple so can share the responsibilities.
If we believe it’s possible and won’t compromise the experiences of children in your care, then fostering and other jobs can definitely work together.