These will stop me from being able to foster won't they?

[jswawsn]

I have (well managed) depression and PTSD. I take an antidepressant. I've never been hospitalised with this and I work, single parent etc. I'm only under the car of a GP, not the mental health services.

I have also been in debt in the recent past, but I am now debt free. I have struggled financially since covid, now doing better but have to carefully budget.

I work 12 hour shifts 3x per week in 6 week blocks for my university course.

I would like to foster a close family friend's child who will unfortunately be taken into foster care if I cannot have her.

I have a thriving DS, good family support and active member of the community.

Does it seem unlikely I'd be approved?

[Lovemusic82]

I’m not able to answer your question but I would like to think that because you know the child these things won’t mater as much. They will decide what is best for the child and what options are available. I don’t know of someone who fostered a friends child but it was a older child (young teen), they were not strict on their financial situation or anything else for that mater but it might be different for a young child.

I just wanted to wish you luck, it’s an amazing thing to offer to do.

[Daffyyellow]

Antidepressants will not bar you from fostering, neither will being a single parent necessarily. You need to ring social services and open a discussion with them about your situation and suitability.

[gotomomo]

The one thing that you will need to adequate child care/overnight provision for when you're on shifts - kinship care has slightly different criteria so do speak to social services

[heartofglass23]

This isn't fostering its kinship care and the rules are much more lax.

[jswawsn]

Thank you everyone. It's the financial situation that worries me the most.