Can single people foster? What it involves when you foster on your own

The short answer

You do not need to be married, in a civil partnership or living with a partner to foster. Official and national guidance across the UK says so plainly. The Fostering Network, the UK's main fostering charity, says you do not have to be married or in a relationship to foster. Foster Wales says there are no special requirements around being in a relationship, and that marriage and civil partnership are not conditions. nidirect, the Northern Ireland government's information site, says you can apply whether you are single, married or living with a partner, and Scotland's national foster care recruitment campaign says it welcomes applicants who are married or single.

Councils say the same thing in their own words. Lincolnshire County Council says many of its foster carers are single and that single men can foster. Telford & Wrekin Council lists single people alongside couples, married people and those in civil partnerships, with or without children of their own. Buckinghamshire Council welcomes applications regardless of relationship status and goes further, noting that for some children a single-carer home can be a positive choice.

So the real question is not whether you are allowed to foster on your own, but whether fostering on your own will work for you and for the children you would care for. The rest of this guide covers what services look for, how they assess a single applicant, working, money, and the practical arrangements that make single fostering sustainable.

How common single foster carers are

National statistics do not split foster carers into single people and couples. Ofsted's main findings on fostering in England for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 report 42,190 fostering households and 56,345 approved mainstream foster carers at the end of March 2025, but they do not give a figure for single-carer households, so be wary of any national percentage you see quoted.

Some services publish their own figures. Foster Wales Swansea, in a story about two single carers who work full time and look after teenagers, says that nearly 30 per cent of its fostering households are single carers. That is one council's number, not a national one, but it shows single carers are a normal part of fostering rather than an exception. Neath Port Talbot's Foster Wales team even runs a monthly support group specifically for its single foster carers.

What every applicant needs, single or not

The basic requirements are the same whatever your relationship status. In England, GOV.UK says you must be at least 18, though most fostering services require you to be at least 21, and that you must have the right to work in the UK. It also says you do not need to own your home, but usually need a spare bedroom. The Fostering Network gives the same minimum age, describes the bedroom as one big enough for a child or young person to live in, and says there is legally no upper age limit.

Elsewhere in the UK the picture is similar. Foster Wales says you do not need a large house but you do need a spare room, and that there is no upper age limit. Scotland's recruitment campaign asks for applicants who are over 18, have a spare bedroom and live in the UK full time, and also says there is no upper age limit. nidirect says there is no maximum age for foster carers in Northern Ireland and that you can apply whether you own or rent your home.

None of these lists mention a partner. Living alone is fine: Foster Wales Neath Port Talbot, answering whether a single person who lives alone can foster, says yes, as long as there is a spare bedroom.

• Age: at least 18 by law in England, with most services asking for 21 or over; no upper age limit.
• Home: owned or rented, with a spare bedroom for a fostered child (some services make exceptions for very young children; Lincolnshire, for example, says you need a spare room for a child over three).
• Right to work in the UK (GOV.UK) and, in Scotland, living in the UK full time.
• Time, stability and the ability to look after a child safely, which the assessment explores in depth.

Your support network matters more when you foster alone

The one area where single applicants get noticeably more attention is support. Every foster carer needs people to call on, but a couple can usually cover for each other. When you foster alone, the people around you fill that role, so services want to know who they are.

Buckinghamshire Council says all applicants need to show a strong, supportive network of family and friends, and asks single applicants in particular to think about what would happen if they were ill or unable to look after the child. Neath Port Talbot says single carers need supportive friends and family, and a supportive employer if they work. The Fostering Network says you should be able to demonstrate a network of support and suggests asking yourself who in your life could help while you foster. Lincolnshire describes a supportive network as helpful.

In practice that means being able to name two or three people who know you well, live reasonably close and would be willing to step in. Your fostering service may ask to meet them. They might collect a child from school if you are delayed, give you a break for an evening, or be a familiar face for the child. It is worth talking to them before you apply so they know what you are asking of them.

Single carers who have written about their experience describe the same thing. The Swansea carers say the hardest part is not having someone to share the load with, but that they never felt alone because of their fostering team and a strong network of family and friends. A single carer in Monmouthshire says his family are always around to help if needed.

• Who could look after the child at short notice if you were ill or had an emergency?
• Who could you talk to at the end of a hard day?
• Who could help with school runs, appointments or contact visits on a busy week?
• Does anyone close to you have experience with children, or would they be willing to do some training?

How the assessment looks at a single applicant

The assessment is the same process for everyone, but what it covers naturally reflects your circumstances. In England, Schedule 3 of the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 sets out the information a fostering service must gather about a prospective foster carer and their household. It includes your marital status and details of any current or previous marriage, civil partnership or similar relationship; particulars of any other adults in your household; two personal referees; and an enhanced criminal record certificate for you and any household member aged 18 or over.

That means past relationships will be discussed even if you are single now. Buckinghamshire Council says it contacts all relevant previous partners. This is standard for every applicant and is about safeguarding and understanding your history, not about judging the end of a relationship. If there is anything you are unsure about, raise it with the service at the start rather than waiting for it to come up.

Your assessor will also want to understand your daily routine, your work, your finances and how you would manage the practical side of caring for a child on your own. Being open about the gaps, and how you plan to fill them, usually counts in your favour. Our guide to the fostering assessment and approval process explains each stage in more detail.

Working while fostering as a single carer

Many single people need to keep working, and that can be compatible with fostering, but it shapes the kind of fostering you do. GOV.UK says you may be able to work and foster, and that whether you can depends on the child's circumstances and the fostering service. The Fostering Network says part-time work is often possible and full-time work may be, depending on the needs and ages of the children. Lincolnshire says part-time work is usually more suitable. Foster Wales says holding down a full-time job is not a barrier in itself.

For a single carer there is no second adult at home to cover the school day, sickness or meetings, so services will look closely at your hours and flexibility. Some single carers who work full time choose types of fostering that fit around a job. Neath Port Talbot says some of its single carers provide short breaks and emergency care around full-time work, and the Swansea carers who work full time look after teenagers and also offer respite or short breaks for a couple of nights a month. One of them credits a very supportive manager.

Fostering can also involve daytime commitments such as meetings, training, school appointments and family time for the child. GOV.UK notes that employers do not have to give you time off for fostering, so it is worth checking your employer's policies and talking to them before you apply.

• Short breaks (respite) and emergency fostering can suit carers who work.
• Older children and teenagers who are at school all day may fit a working pattern better than babies or toddlers.
• Ask each service you are considering whether it approves single carers who work full time, and for which kinds of fostering.

Money: fostering allowances and your household budget

Foster carers receive a weekly fostering allowance from their fostering service while a child lives with them, to cover the cost of caring for that child. The Fostering Network says the amount varies with the child's age, and in England there is a national minimum allowance set each year by child age band. Neath Port Talbot confirms that single carers receive financial support in the same way.

The difference for a single person is that there is usually only one income in the household. Lincolnshire County Council says fostering allowances should supplement, not replace, your main income. Before you apply, work out whether your household budget would still work during gaps between placements, when no allowance is paid, and whether fostering would mean reducing your working hours.

Fostering payments interact with tax and benefits in particular ways, and the rules depend on your own circumstances. We do not give individual tax or benefits advice. Your fostering service, HMRC, or Fosterline, the free advice line for foster carers in England (0800 040 7675, listed on GOV.UK), can explain how the rules apply to you. Our guide to foster carer pay and allowances covers how allowances and fees work.

Strengths single carers bring

Fostering services do not see single applicants as second best. Buckinghamshire Council points out that a single-carer home can suit some children well. Services match each child with the home that suits them best, and for some children that will be a home with one consistent adult.

Single carers also tend to have thought hard about support, routines and their own resilience before they apply, which is exactly what assessors are looking for. The single carers featured by Foster Wales teams describe fostering as demanding but rewarding, with one Monmouthshire carer summing up his advice to other single people as simply to go for it.

If your relationship status changes

Life moves on, and services expect that. If you start a relationship while fostering, you need to tell your fostering service. Neath Port Talbot says that if a single carer starts a relationship, it can complete an assessment and background checks on the new partner. Lincolnshire says applicants should let the service know about a partner, who may need to be assessed. If a partner moves in, they will become a member of your household and the checks that apply to household members will apply to them.

The same applies the other way round: if you were approved as a couple and separate, talk to your supervising social worker early. They can explain what it means for your approval.

Across the UK

England

GOV.UK sets a minimum age of 18 (most services ask for 21) and usually expects a spare bedroom; it does not mention relationship status as a requirement. The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 require services to gather relationship history, details of other adults in the household, two personal references and enhanced criminal record checks. Fosterline (0800 040 7675) gives free independent advice.

Scotland

Scotland's national foster care recruitment campaign welcomes applicants who are married or single, over 18 with no upper age limit, with a spare bedroom and living in the UK full time. Contact your local council fostering team or an agency for its own policies.

Wales

Foster Wales says there are no requirements around being in a relationship and that marriage and civil partnership are not conditions. Several local Foster Wales teams, including Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, publish stories and support specifically for single carers.

Northern Ireland

nidirect says you can become a foster carer whether you are single, married or living with a partner, employed or out of work, and that there is no maximum age. Contact your Health and Social Care Trust or an independent agency to discuss your circumstances.

Common questions