We have a large community of foster carers with a range of backgrounds, and you can foster as a single person, a couple, or a family with children.

You must, however, understand that fostering affects your whole family and close friends.

If you’re in a relationship, your partner must want to foster too. If you have children of your own, you must consider how they will feel sharing their home with another child. 

Each individual or family will bring something different to the role and there are only a few basic requirements to consider at the initial stages of your fostering journey.

By far the most important thing to remember is children need understanding, patience, and stability, so you will need to be empathetic, resilient, and committed. 

What you need

To become a foster carer for Newcastle City Council, you must: 

• be over 21 years old 
• have a spare bedroom – a fostered child cannot share with your own children 
• be a full-time resident in the UK or have indefinite leave to remain 
• have good spoken and written English 

Other things to consider 

You might also like to consider the following when thinking about whether you can foster. You’ll need to: 

• be available to care for the child, children, or young person 24/7 
• have a flexible job if you’re planning to continue to work and foster and understand that your priority is to the child in your care 
• be committed to making a positive difference to a child