Foster parents in the UK are not allowed to use physical punishment, abuse or neglect children, disclose confidential information inappropriately, or make important decisions about a child’s care without the necessary authority.
However, not every decision requires permission from a social worker. Foster carers are usually responsible for everyday parenting decisions, while more significant matters depend on the child’s care plan and the authority delegated to them.
Understanding these boundaries is essential for protecting children while helping them enjoy a safe, stable and supportive family life.
In this article, we’ll explain what foster parents are not allowed to do, the rules governing foster care in England and how fostering agencies support carers in meeting their responsibilities.
What Rules Do Foster Parents Have to Follow?
Foster carers must follow safeguarding requirements, their fostering agency’s policies and the arrangements set out in each child’s care and placement plans.
In England, fostering services operate under the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011, alongside the National Minimum Standards and other statutory guidance.
These requirements help protect children and ensure they receive appropriate care.
However, foster carers also need sufficient authority to manage normal family activities without unnecessary delays.
This is known as delegated authority.
A child’s placement plan should explain which decisions the foster carer can make independently and which require consultation or consent.
You can learn more about the wider legal framework on Apple Fostering’s fostering regulations page.
1. Foster Parents Cannot Use Physical Punishment
Foster parents are not allowed to use corporal punishment, including smacking, slapping or other forms of physical discipline.
They must also avoid excessive or unreasonable methods of controlling a child’s behaviour.
This is particularly important because children entering foster care may have experienced abuse, neglect, trauma or instability.
Physical punishment can undermine a child’s sense of safety and damage their trust in adults.
Instead, foster carers are expected to use appropriate, non-physical approaches to behaviour management.
These may include:
- Establishing consistent boundaries and routines.
- Communicating expectations calmly.
- Recognising and encouraging positive behaviour.
- Understanding the reasons behind challenging behaviour.
- Using strategies recommended through the child’s care plan and professional support.
Physical restraint is subject to strict safeguards and is not a form of punishment. Under the regulations, it is permitted only in specified circumstances involving the prevention of injury or serious damage to property.
Apple Fostering provides training and guidance to help carers understand children’s emotional needs and respond appropriately to challenging situations.
2. Foster Parents Cannot Make Every Major Decision Independently
Foster carers provide day-to-day care, but they do not automatically have parental responsibility for the children placed with them.
Important decisions may remain with the local authority, birth parents or other people who hold parental responsibility.
These can include:
- Changing a child’s school.
- Consenting to significant medical treatment.
- Making major decisions about religious upbringing.
- Changing long-term care arrangements.
- Making decisions about adoption or permanent placements.
However, foster carers may have authority to make many everyday decisions, including arrangements for routine activities, school trips or ordinary healthcare appointments.
The exact responsibilities depend on the child’s individual placement plan.
The GOV.UK guidance on making decisions for foster children explains how delegated authority works.
If you’re unsure whether a particular decision falls within your responsibilities, speak to the child’s social worker or your supervising social worker before proceeding.
3. Foster Parents Cannot Make Unauthorised Medical Decisions
Foster carers are responsible for supporting children’s health and wellbeing, including arranging appropriate healthcare and responding when a child is unwell.
However, they may not have authority to consent to every medical procedure.
For example, routine dental appointments or medical examinations may fall within delegated authority, while surgery or other significant treatment may require consent from someone with parental responsibility.
The child’s placement plan should explain which medical decisions the foster carer is authorised to make.
This is particularly important where a child has ongoing medical needs, prescribed medication or specialist treatment requirements.
Foster carers should also follow the agreed arrangements for administering medication and recording relevant health information.
Where urgent medical attention is required, the child’s immediate safety must be prioritised and appropriate emergency procedures followed.
4. Foster Parents Cannot Change Family Contact Arrangements Without Authority
Maintaining appropriate relationships with birth parents, siblings and other important people can be an essential part of a child’s care plan.
Foster carers may be responsible for supporting family contact, including helping children attend visits or maintain agreed communication.
However, they should not independently cancel, restrict or substantially change contact arrangements where those decisions fall outside their delegated authority.
Contact arrangements may be affected by court orders, safeguarding considerations and decisions made by the responsible local authority.
If a foster carer has concerns about contact, these should be raised promptly with the child’s social worker.
The aim is to support relationships where appropriate while ensuring that the child’s welfare remains the priority.
5. Foster Parents Cannot Share Confidential Information Inappropriately
Foster carers are trusted with sensitive information about the children in their care.
This may include details about family circumstances, health, education, previous experiences and safeguarding concerns.
Such information should only be shared with people who have an appropriate reason and authority to receive it.
Foster parents should not disclose a child’s personal history to friends, neighbours or other people simply because they are curious.
Confidentiality also applies to conversations, written records, photographs and digital communication.
Children should have their privacy respected, including their right to share personal experiences in their own time and on their own terms.
If information needs to be shared to protect a child or support their care, foster carers should follow the agency’s safeguarding and information-sharing procedures.
6. Foster Parents Cannot Ignore Social Media Safeguarding Rules
Social media can create risks for children in foster care, particularly when photographs, locations or personal information are shared publicly.
Foster carers should not post identifying information about a foster child without the appropriate authority and safeguards.
This includes considering:
- Photographs that identify the child.
- Details about their placement or family history.
- School names and location information.
- Posts revealing that a child is in foster care.
- Information that could compromise their privacy or safety.
However, the rules should not unnecessarily prevent children from enjoying normal family experiences or participating in age-appropriate online activities.
Decisions about social media should reflect the child’s wishes, maturity, safety needs and the authority set out in their placement plan.
If you’re uncertain about sharing photographs or information, check with your fostering agency before posting.
7. Foster Parents Cannot Disregard a Child’s Religion, Culture or Identity
Foster carers must respect children’s individual backgrounds, identities and beliefs.
Children entering foster care may have cultural, religious or family traditions that differ from those of their foster carers.
Providing appropriate care means recognising these differences and supporting children in maintaining important connections with their identity.
For example, carers may need to consider:
- Religious observance and celebrations.
- Dietary requirements.
- Cultural traditions and language.
- Personal identity and individual preferences.
- Connections with family and community.
Foster carers should not impose beliefs or practices in ways that disregard a child’s rights, wishes or care arrangements.
Where decisions involve significant changes to religious upbringing or other important matters, the child’s care plan and delegated authority arrangements must be followed.
Apple Fostering recognises the importance of matching children with carers who can understand and respond to their individual needs, including their cultural and religious backgrounds.
8. Foster Parents Cannot Ignore Supervision and Safety Requirements
Foster carers are responsible for providing appropriate supervision and keeping children safe.
However, this doesn’t mean children in foster care must always be supervised more closely than other children of the same age.
The level of supervision required depends on the child’s maturity, individual needs, experiences and care plan.
For example, decisions about staying home alone, visiting friends or attending overnight activities should consider the child’s safety and the authority delegated to the foster carer.
Some everyday decisions, including sleepovers, may already fall within a foster carer’s delegated authority.
Others may require additional discussion because of specific safeguarding concerns.
The priority is to support age-appropriate independence while maintaining suitable boundaries.
Foster carers should also follow agreed procedures if a child goes missing or there are concerns about their immediate safety.
9. Foster Parents Cannot Make Unauthorised Changes to Living Arrangements
Stability is important for children who may already have experienced significant changes in their lives.
Foster carers should therefore communicate with their fostering agency about circumstances that could affect a placement.
For example, moving house, making substantial changes to household arrangements or planning certain holidays may require discussion, reassessment or specific consent.
However, ordinary changes to family routines do not necessarily require permission.
The level of approval needed depends on the nature of the change, the child’s circumstances and the relevant delegated authority.
For holidays, foster carers should check whether they have authority to make the arrangements and whether additional documentation is needed, particularly for travel abroad.
Planning ahead helps ensure that children can enjoy family activities while their care and safeguarding requirements are respected.
10. Foster Parents Cannot Engage in Abuse, Neglect or Inappropriate Relationships
Foster carers occupy a position of trust and must maintain safe, appropriate boundaries with children.
Any form of physical, emotional or sexual abuse, exploitation or neglect is unacceptable.
Foster carers must also avoid behaviour that could compromise a child’s safety, dignity or emotional wellbeing.
This includes recognising appropriate boundaries around personal care, communication, discipline and relationships.
Concerns about a child’s welfare, allegations of abuse or inappropriate conduct must be reported through the relevant safeguarding procedures.
Foster carers should never attempt to conceal serious concerns or manage safeguarding allegations informally.
The purpose of these requirements is to ensure that children are protected and that concerns are handled by the appropriate professionals.
What Are Foster Parents Allowed to Do?
Although fostering involves important rules, foster carers are also trusted to make everyday decisions that help children feel included in family life.
Depending on their delegated authority, they may be able to:
- Arrange routine health and dental appointments.
- Agree to ordinary school activities and trips.
- Support hobbies, clubs and social activities.
- Make appropriate decisions about friendships and sleepovers.
- Establish household routines and reasonable boundaries.
- Encourage children’s independence and personal development.
The aim is not to restrict every aspect of family life. It is to ensure that decisions are appropriate for each child’s needs and circumstances.
Understanding the difference between everyday parenting decisions and matters requiring formal consent is an important part of becoming a foster carer.
How Does Apple Fostering Help Carers Understand the Rules?
Foster carers are not expected to understand every legal requirement or safeguarding procedure before they begin their fostering journey.
Apple Fostering provides preparation training, ongoing guidance and professional support to help carers understand their responsibilities.
This includes guidance on safeguarding, children’s emotional needs, behaviour management and working alongside social workers.
You can learn more about becoming a foster carer with Apple Fostering, including the requirements and support available.
If you’re interested in the different responsibilities associated with particular placements, our types of fostering placements page explains the care arrangements Apple Fostering provides.
Understanding Your Responsibilities as a Foster Parent
Knowing what foster parents are not allowed to do is an important part of providing safe and responsible care.
While some rules are absolute, such as the prohibition on physical punishment and abuse, other decisions depend on delegated authority and the child’s individual care plan.
Foster carers play an important role in helping children enjoy everyday experiences, develop positive relationships and feel secure in a family environment.
Understanding your responsibilities, communicating with social workers and following safeguarding guidance all contribute to providing appropriate care.
Thinking about becoming a foster carer?
Apple Fostering can explain the rules, responsibilities and support involved in fostering across London and the areas we cover.
Contact us to discuss becoming a foster carer.
