Can you Foster newborns? Do you need a spare room?

[OldNo7]

I've always wanted to Foster but don't have a spare room.

If I fostered newborns would I need a spare room as the advice is for them to stay with you until 6 months?

Also I am single and on antidepressants for anxiety would that affect things?

I'm a fantastic mother, it's the only thing I'm great at so I know I could give babies a secure start in life.

Not sure op but I hope you can do it. Hopefully someone soon will know more than me, but if not there is a fostering board here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/fostering

And definitely there are newborns who get fostered. Some may have more difficulties for example some are born drug-addicted if their mothers took drugs in pregnancy.

I believe if the children are under 2 you don’t need a spare room but check with your local council

Your local council could advise you. Something to think about - newborns usually have very frequent contact (daily/ several times a week), and many are born to drug/ alcohol using women so you may have to deal with a baby withdrawing. The anxiety/ depression would only be a big problem if you weren't stable/ had little insight into when you were getting worse/ affected your parenting with little support for you if you are a single career.

Yes sadly new born babies often need to be fostered
My LA say they must stay in carers room until 6 months old. My LA would then expect you to have a spare room. Fostering babies is very hard, they usually have a huge amount of contact and often come with complex health issues.
Your being on anti depressants wouldn't necessarily be a problem but you would need to speak to a SW to be sure.

Talk to your local council. I do know that the majority of newborns fostered are withdrawing from drugs or have fas so need specialist care others have parents trying to get them back - not easy

I have a friend who fosters and seems majority of newborn babies come with their birth mother on placements, so a spare room is necessary for this reason. Invariably which is really sad, they don’t seem to work out and she has ended up fostering several babies until they are adopted.