BARNARDO'S BITESIZE: The Assessment Process

Barnardo's Fostering & Adoption NI · 2025-04-02

Thinking about fostering but feeling overwhelmed by the process? Too busy to listen to the longer episode? We've got your back!

This bitesize episode pulls back the curtain on the fostering assessment, walking you through exactly what to expect from your first contact with Barnardo's through to the home visit and beyond. We address common misconceptions head-on: No, you don't need parenting experience. Yes, your spare bedroom currently being used as an office is completely fine. And that home visit? It's not about judging your housekeeping skills!

Our fostering specialists explain the essential criteria (being at least 21, having some experience with children, and having a spare bedroom) while emphasizing that the assessment process is designed to be supportive rather than intimidating. We explore what actually happens during a home visit, why your support network matters so much, and how social workers help match you with the right type of fostering opportunity - whether that's short-term placements, long-term care, or fostering to adopt.

Perhaps most importantly, we highlight that fostering assessment is a two-way conversation. It's as much about you understanding the realities of caring for children from the care system as it is about us understanding your motivation and circumstances. The journey to becoming a foster carer should feel informative and empowering rather than overwhelming.

Ready to take the first step? The children who need stable, loving homes are waiting. Search for Barnardo's online or follow the link in our program description to learn more about fostering with us.

Learn more about fostering and adoption with Barnardo’s:
https://www.barnardos.org.uk/get-support/fostering-and-adoption

To learn more about fostering and adoption in NI, visit our Linktr.ee:
https://linktr.ee/barnardosfosteringni

To ask a question, give us some feedback or make a topic request, email us at:
[email protected]

Foster belonging with us!

Barnardo's Fostering & Adoption NI

Interested in fostering or adoption? Not sure where to start?

Meet Barnardo's Fostering & Adoption here in NI. Your guide is Ness who looks after recruitment and is not a social worker.

Let Ness introduce you to the wider team, to foster carers and adopters who are willing to share their experiences and give you (and Ness) insights into the world of fostering and adoption. What is it really like? What is 'Panel'? What kind of training can you expect? What sort of support will you get? Will you be able to work and foster? What is the difference between fostering and adoption?

This is the place to find answers to these questions and more. Over the coming months, we will be talking through the application process, the kinds of professional training and support you can expect and the different types of fostering, including fostering to adoption and parent and child placements. We will speak with those who've walked the walk (and can talk the talk) from both our NI service and those across the UK.

Barnardo's needs more families, couples and single carers, from all walks of life, whether they are considering fostering and/or adoption, to ensure that when children need a loving family, the right one is there for them. Could it be you?

Learn about Fostering & Adoption with Barnardo's here: https://www.barnardos.org.uk/get-support/fostering-and-adoption

To learn more about Fostering and Adoption with us in Northern Ireland, visit our Linktr.ee here: https://linktr.ee/barnardosfosteringni

To ask a question, give us some feedback or make a topic request, contact us at [email protected].

Together, we can change lives. #fosterbelongingwithus

Image credit: main: Janine Boyd Photography, banner: Katherine Hanlon, Unsplash

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