Yes, you can still apply to foster with us if you have your own children living at home. In fact, it’s often quite nice for the children coming into care to have other children in the home and your own children can benefit from the experience too. However, it is vital that your own children are supportive of your decision to foster and will be part of your assessment so we can get to know them. This will help us when matching a looked after child with your family.
A foster child should not be thought of as a potential playmate or companion for your own child; just like anyone else, each child will bond differently with different people – some take a long time to form a bond of attachment so it would not be fair to expect a foster child to quickly become a friend to your own children.