As a foster carer, you have certain rights, as well as some limitations that should be understood before deciding to take on this role.
Firstly, you have the right to foster for whomever you want and can even change agencies or local authorities if desired, although continued assessments may be required. Additionally, you should receive support from the fostering provider in order to meet the needs of the child in your care. This includes an allowance which will cover the costs of caring for a child and potentially financial rewards on top of that. You also have the right to say ‘no’ if you are unsure about fostering a particular child or feel like it is not a good fit.
At the same time, there are some things that fall outside of your rights as a foster carer. For example, most times it is not up to you to decide what plan is best for the child – instead this rests with other health professionals such as social workers. In addition, while applying to become a foster carer must be free of discrimination, agencies do not need to accept everyone who applies necessarily. Furthermore, fostering providers cannot be held responsible for placing children with specific carers and being self-employed means there are fewer employment rights than those who are employed by companies or organizations.