While at least one adult in a household may be the main foster parent, fostering has an impact on everyone in the household. Every household is unique. You may be a single carer, with or without birth children living at home, or an older relative might be part of your household.
Where there are two adults in a relationship living in the household, they would both need to be approved as foster parents. Where there may be one adult living in the household with perhaps a partner spending a significant amount of time there, then we would look at each individual circumstance. At the very least regular adult visitors to the household would need to undertake some basic checks including a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS).
Some households have birth children living at home either children or adults. We would expect to talk to all household members as part of an assessment in an age-appropriate way.
Having your own children
Many foster parents have their own children, they could be living at home, or they might be adults living independently. However, not all foster parents have had their own children, it’s not a requirement. What we do need to be able to do is evidence in an assessment what relevant experience potential foster parents have to give them the necessary skills to meet the needs of children they look after. This might be from a work context, being a part of the lives of children in your extended family or friendship group of through voluntary work.
Your home
Some foster parents own their own home, some will rent. The main thing we need to be sure of is stability. We need to be sure your home is secure base. Of course people move from time to time.
Bedrooms
Each foster child requires their own bedroom, they don’t share with any birth children in the household but can share with their own brothers and sisters of the same gender. So you need at least one spare bedroom which can be used for fostering. The exception to this would be a young baby who might share the foster parents bedroom.