Can I foster a child if I work full time?

We believe that at least one Foster Parent in the household should be at home on a full time basis, and in By the Bridge it is a requirement. This is to ensure that a child or young person in your care is looked after in the best way possible.

You’ll need to be able to get a child to and from school and social activities, as well as caring for them during weekends and school holidays. You’ll also need to be able to attend By the Bridge training courses and supervision groups with the other foster parents in your locality, as well as have the time to attend the meetings which are held to review your foster child’s progress.

We believe that it's important that foster parents are given financial payments that cover the costs of caring for children or young people and also provide a professional fee for their work, thus enabling them to commit to foster parenting as a full time career.