Can single people foster?

Yes. You do not need a partner to become a foster carer, and you never have. If you are single and quietly wondering whether an agency would take you seriously, the honest answer is that your relationship status is close to the least interesting thing about your application. What matters far more is who you can ring at nine on a Tuesday night when a child is upset, the washing machine has flooded the kitchen and you have not had dinner.

The short answer, and who says it

In February 2026 the Department for Education published its fostering strategy, Renewing Fostering: homes for 10,000 more children. Part of it is a list of the myths that stop people picking up the phone. Myth 3 is “I’m single, I won’t be accepted”, and the department’s answer runs to one sentence: “Relationship status is not a barrier to fostering.”

The Fostering Network says the same thing in warmer words: “You don’t have to be married or in a relationship to foster. There are loads of fantastic foster carers who are single, but you should be able to demonstrate a network of support.”

That second half is the part worth reading twice. We will come back to it, because it is the one place where a single application really does get looked at closely.

The numbers explain why the sector cannot afford to be fussy about household shape. In 2024-25 there were almost 150,000 enquiries about fostering in England and only 7,365 newly approved foster carers. Six per cent of enquiries even reached the application stage. At the end of March 2025 there were 42,190 fostering households in England, one per cent fewer than the year before. Turning away good applicants over their marital status would be a strange way to run a service that short of homes.

What the rules actually require

Gov.uk sets out the basics, and there is no mention of a spouse anywhere in them. You need the right to work in the UK, you need to be able to care for a child full time, and you need to pass a fostering assessment. You must be at least 18, although most fostering services ask for 21. On housing, gov.uk is direct: “You do not need to own your home, but usually you’ll need to have a spare bedroom.”

There is no upper age limit either. The Department for Education lists that as another myth, and The Fostering Network points out that plenty of foster carers are in their sixties and seventies. A fair number of people come to fostering precisely because their own children have grown up and left. If you want the fuller picture of who is eligible, our page on who can be a foster carer goes through it question by question.

The one thing that does get looked at closely

Here is the honest bit. Assessors do ask single applicants harder questions about support, and they are right to. Fostering does not stop at bedtime. A child can be unwell at 3am, a school can ring at eleven in the morning asking you to come and collect, and you can break your wrist on an icy pavement in February like anyone else. In a two-adult household there is an obvious answer to what happens next. On your own, you need to have thought about it.

So your assessing social worker will want to know who your people are, by name. Not “I’ve got friends”, but:

• who would collect a child from school if you were stuck in A&E
• who has a spare key
• who would sit with a child while you went to your own hospital appointment
• who you would ring at midnight if you were out of ideas and out of patience
• who would have the child for a weekend so you could go to a wedding

You also need references. Gov.uk asks for “the names and addresses of at least 2 people who can give references for you and every adult who lives with you”. Choose people who have actually seen you with children.

Two pieces of practical advice. First, have the conversation with those people before you apply, not after. It is a much better conversation when it starts with “I’m thinking about fostering, would you be up for being on my list?” rather than a panicked phone call in month four. Second, do not pretend the network is bigger than it is. Assessors are good at spotting a name added to make a page look fuller, and a thin but real support network beats an impressive fictional one every time.

Can you work and foster on your own?

Sometimes, and it depends what you do and who moves in. Gov.uk puts it carefully: “You may be able to work and foster. Whether you can depends on the child’s circumstances and the fostering service you apply to.” It also flags something people miss, which is that you have no statutory right to time off work to care for a foster child.

In practice, a full-time office job and a three year old do not go together. A school-age child and flexible or part-time work often can, particularly once a child is settled. Plenty of single carers work term-time hours, or from home, or drop to four days. Some people start with short breaks, caring for a child a couple of weekends a month while they keep their job, and move to full-time fostering once they know how it feels. If you want to keep working, say so at the first phone call. It shapes which children we would talk to you about, and it is far better dealt with in week one than in month six.

The money, on one income

Please note: this is general information, not personal financial or tax advice. Fees are correct at the time of writing and tax figures are for the 2026/27 tax year. Check the current thresholds with the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group or an accountant before making decisions based on them.

This is the question single applicants ask most often and least loudly. You are one income, and you want to know whether the sums work.

South Coast pays a single weekly fee per child, which combines the allowance for the child’s costs and your professional fee. As of today:

• £479.50 a week for a child aged 10 and under, of which roughly £90 is spent directly on the child
• £507.50 a week for a child aged 11 and over, of which roughly £100 is spent directly on the child
• £987 a week for a parent and child arrangement, though a deduction can apply if the parent receives benefits
• Enhanced fostering, for children with higher needs, typically adds £100 to £200 a week, and reaches around £1,600 in rare cases

The fee is per child. It does not go down because there is one adult in the house rather than two. There is more detail on our foster carer pay and allowances page, and a fuller breakdown in our article on how foster carer pay works in Southern England.

On top of that, foster carers are self-employed and get Qualifying Care Relief, which is generous. For 2026/27 it is a fixed £20,440 per household per year, plus £435 for every week you care for a child under 11 and £515 a week for a child aged 11 or over. Many carers end up under the threshold and pay no tax on their fostering income at all.

What single carers bring

Agencies are sometimes coy about this, so we will not be. A calm house with one adult in it can be exactly right for a child who has spent years reading the mood of a room. One set of rules, and no working out which grown-up to ask. Children who have found family life confusing often settle faster somewhere quiet.

Single carers also tend to be decisive, because they have to be, and they tend to have built the kind of friendships that survive being asked for help. Both of those matter more in fostering than a second signature on a mortgage.

You will not be doing this on your own

There is a difference between fostering alone and fostering unsupported, and the second one is not something we allow.

Every South Coast carer has a supervising social worker who knows the household properly and stays with you. You get an induction after approval, a planning meeting within five days of a child moving in so that everyone is clear about what you can decide yourself, and regular supervision sessions where you can say the difficult thing out loud. Your supervising social worker will also visit unannounced at least once a year, which is a legal requirement and, in truth, usually a cup of tea. Training is ongoing and paid for. Our phone line is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on 023 8235 2020, and that includes 4am on a Sunday. You can read more about the support we give our carers.

You will also meet other South Coast carers, including other single ones. That is the bit no agency can manufacture, and it is often what carers say keeps them going.

A child isn’t just given a home, they’re given a chance. There is nothing in that sentence that needs two adults.

Frequently asked questions

Can you foster as a single person in the UK?

Yes. There is no legal requirement to be married, in a relationship or living with another adult. The Department for Education’s February 2026 fostering strategy lists “I’m single, I won’t be accepted” as a myth and states that relationship status is not a barrier to fostering. You do need to show a real network of support around you.

Do single foster carers get paid less?

No. The weekly fee is paid per child, not per adult in the household. A single carer looking after a nine year old in Southampton receives the same £479.50 a week as a couple would.

Do I need a spare bedroom if I am fostering on my own?

Usually yes, and it is one of the first things we check. There is an exception for babies under two, who can sleep in a cot in your room. We go through it properly in our article on whether you need a spare bedroom to foster.

Can I foster on my own and keep my job?

Often, depending on your hours and the age and needs of the child. School-age children and flexible or part-time work go together reasonably well. Full-time work and a toddler generally do not. Tell us about your job at the first conversation so we can be realistic with you.

What happens if I meet someone while I am fostering?

Nothing dramatic, but you do need to tell your supervising social worker early, and a new partner who becomes part of household life will need checks. We have written separately about meeting the right person while you are a foster carer.