Can I foster as a single parent?

Yes!

Your relationship status should never hold you back from fostering.

The team here at evolve looks at every application we receive from potential foster parents and we do our best to assist you with your wish to be a foster parent.

Do I need any specific skills or experience to foster as a single parent?

Foster parents need to be supportive, nurturing and patient. If these are characteristics you possess, it really doesn’t matter whether you’re single, married, divorced, or in a relationship.

Many individuals choose to become a foster parent on their own, whether they do or don’t have biological children of their own.

We have found that many single parents make good candidates for foster parents because they have experience of parenting, perhaps in looking after younger relatives or as part of a career.

Your gender is also not an issue when it comes to fostering as a single parent.

Many successful foster parents are single; however you must be able to commit to the role full-time, and have a sufficient support network of people around you.

Can I work and foster as a single parent?

Some single parents are unable to work traditional 9-5 jobs because of childcare commitments, fostering is no different.

Dedicating lots of time to look after the child/children in your care is crucial. This means that as a single person you may not be eligible to foster if you want to continue working on a full-time basis.

However, even if you want to continue working full time, you still may be able to help foster children by becoming a respite foster parent. This is when you look after a child on a short-term basis, usually a weekend or for a couple of weeks (with advanced notice), to be able to give other full-time foster parents a break from their responsibilities. 

Whether you apply to be a foster parent or a respite foster parent is something we can discuss with you so you can make the best decision for you.

Fostering as a single parent

If you are interested in fostering as a single parent then simply get in touch with our team here at evolve.

You can find out more about evolve’s ethos and vision for fostering here.