Can You Foster as a Single Person?

There are many myths and misconceptions around who can and who cannot foster. One of the questions we’re often asked is: can you foster as a single person? The short answer to this question is: yes! Single individuals can absolutely foster children, and many have gone on to make a huge impact on the lives of young people. In fact, 27% of our current foster carers* are single.

As a single person, the key point to remember is that you will be the primary caregiver, which means you’ll take on the role of providing full care for a child. As well as using your skills as a foster carer, there will be other tasks that require flexibility, commitment and an organised approach. These include, but are not limited to:

School drop-offs/pick ups	Liaising with your social worker and other professionals
Attending medical appointments	Attending training when applicable
Facilitating the contact between children and their birth parents	Keeping regular records
Coordinating with schools and extracurricular activities

A Support Network

It’s important to highlight that, despite being the primary caregiver, you will have a robust support network around you.

As well as being allocated your own Supervising Social Worker, TACT provide a number of additional support options and resources – some of which are unique to the charity. They are:

Out-of-hours support service. This ensures that you receive full 24/7 support
Support groups. Local support groups that provide opportunities to connect with other TACT foster carers
Additional support for young people. Our Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners offer extra support, activities, and events for the children in your care
Supporting your own children. If you have children of your own, our Children Who Foster events provide opportunities for them to connect with others in similar situations

Education service. A specialised service that provides guidance, ensuring the children in your care have access to the best educational opportunities
Health service. Monitoring of the physical and mental well-being of the children in your care
Foster carer portal. A central online hub that offers easy access to vital information, advice, training, and resources to assist you in your daily responsibilities

“Some people, even friends, look at single foster carers, especially single men like me and question whether you can foster but I thought, “actually I can do it”. I have the empathy, understanding and experience, plus a good support network around me.”

Damian, TACT Foster since 2022

Advantages of fostering as a single person

Fostering as a single person can offer unique advantages that could make a positive impact on a young person.

Flexibility in decision-making

As a single foster carer, you’ll have the autonomy to make decisions without needing to consult a partner. This can allow you to act quickly when needed, particularly in time-sensitive situations or when undertaking certain types of fostering such as emergency foster care.

Stronger one-to-one connections

There is the potential, as a single foster carer, to form deeper therapeutic one-to-one connections with children in your care, which could better aid the recovery from past trauma or Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s).

Providing an important ‘matching’ opportunity

In some circumstances, young people may require a single carer as a part of their care plan. This could be due to past experiences, so matching them with a single carer could be essential criteria when seeking a fostering household.

Single parent fostering

Being a single parent to children of your own is not a barrier to fostering. Everyone’s circumstances are different, so if you have the time and availability to dedicate yourself to fostering, single parent fostering is entirely possible.

Part of your assessment to become a foster carer will involve your own children (sometimes called ‘birth children’). This is to ensure that they are ‘on board’ with the decision and are aware of the specific support resources available to them. Having your own children in the fostering home can have a positive impact on both your children and the young people you provide care for. The potential bond between young people cannot be underestimated and is the reason why carer-to-child matching is so detailed and considered.

For children to have someone closer to their own age to talk to can be game-changing – and this can happen from day one.

Read more about support for your own children.

“Some people are surprised that I am a single foster carer. Marital status is not a deciding factor in terms of suitability to foster. And my TACT social worker is always available to support me, so I never feel alone.”

Elaine, TACT foster carer since 2011

Working and Fostering

Financial wellbeing is important to us all, and as a single person you may be thinking about keeping your existing role whilst fostering. Whilst this wouldn’t be automatically ruled out, it will be dependent on a number of factors.

As you will be required to attend various meetings, training – and in some cases facilitating birth parent contact, it would be important to assess if fostering would be possible for you whilst maintaining your current role.

Some factors to consider are:

1. Is your current role flexible enough to allow you to fulfil the day-to day practicalities of fostering, such as school runs and medical appointments?

2. Would your current workplace allow you the time to attend various meetings with other professionals such as social workers, psychologists and teachers?

If keeping your current role and fostering is deemed possible, we would also look at matching considerations, such as placing older and more independent children with you.

Every application to foster is accepted on a case-by-case basis, so talking to one of our team about fostering and working is advisable.

Can you foster as a single person?

Many people believe that being single will automatically rule them out from fostering.

The truth is that single foster carers are highly sought, facilitating therapeutic one-to-one care and fulfilling certain matching criteria. Whilst it is important to understand the realities of being a single foster carer, the advantages and benefits to young people make fostering as a single carer an essential option for young people.

*as of January 2025