National Minimum Standards · England

Fostering Minimum Standards

A training companion for foster carers. The standards that shape a child's daily experience — what each one means, what you must do, and how it looks in a real placement.

Explore the standardsAbout the framework

17

Carer-focused standards

4

Guiding pillars

Ofsted

Inspected against

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About the framework

What the National Minimum Standards are

The National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services are set by the Department for Education and used by Ofsted to register and inspect fostering services in England.

They describe the minimum standard of care every fostered child has the right to expect. As a foster carer, you are the person who turns these standards into a child's daily experience.

This page gathers the standards most relevant to your day-to-day role — what each one means, what you must do, and how it looks in real life.

01

Safety & Wellbeing

Keeping the child physically and emotionally safe, day and night.

02

Identity & Belonging

Honouring who the child is and the people who matter to them.

03

Positive Behaviour & Growth

Responding to behaviour with understanding and helping the child develop.

04

Professional Practice

The standards that frame you as a skilled, accountable carer.

The Standard Atlas

The standards, grouped by what they protect

Each standard below sets a minimum you must meet. Read what it means, what you must do, and how it plays out in a real placement.

Safety & Wellbeing

Keeping the child physically and emotionally safe, day and night.

Standard 2

Care of Fostered Children

A child's welfare is safeguarded and promoted through consistent, attentive care that meets their individual needs.

  • Follow the child's placement plan and care plan in daily life.
  • Treat the child as part of your family while respecting their background and history.
  • Meet dietary, clothing, religious, cultural and health needs.
  • Support the child's emotional security and routines; never rely on the child for your own emotional needs.
Standard 6

Health & Wellbeing

A child's physical, mental and emotional health is promoted, and they receive the care and treatment they need.

  • Register the child with a GP and dentist and attend appointments.
  • Follow the child's health care plan and record any medication given.
  • Be alert to signs of distress and seek help early rather than waiting.
  • Support the child's emotional and mental health, not just the physical.
Standard 18

Safer Caring

The fostering household is a safe environment for children, with risks understood and managed.

  • Follow your service's safer caring policy in everyday decisions.
  • Manage visitors, overnight stays and online activity safely.
  • Keep the home free from hazards; follow rules on smoking, alcohol and pets.
  • Think about safer sleeping and bathing arrangements for each child.
Standard 19

Missing from Care

Children who go missing are protected and supported before, during and after the event.

  • Know each child's risk level and what to do if they go missing.
  • Report immediately following the missing-from-care protocol — never wait.
  • Keep the home ready and welcoming for their return.
  • Support them without anger when they come back, and record and debrief.

Identity & Belonging

Honouring who the child is and the people who matter to them.

Standard 4

Equal Opportunities & Diversity

Children are valued and cared for in a way that fully respects their identity, background and beliefs.

  • Respect and support the child's religion, language, culture, sexuality and disability.
  • Challenge discrimination you witness, in the home and outside it.
  • Seek training where a child's background is unfamiliar to you.
  • Help the child build and hold on to a positive sense of identity.
Standard 5

Information Sharing & Confidentiality

Information about a child is shared on a need-to-know basis and stored securely.

  • Keep written and electronic records of the child secure.
  • Share information only with those who need it for the child's care.
  • Explain to the child, in an age-appropriate way, who knows what about them.
  • Never discuss the child on social media or in public.
Standard 8

Promoting Contact

Children are supported to maintain safe, appropriate contact with their family and significant others.

  • Follow the contact arrangements set out in the care plan.
  • Support and facilitate contact positively, not reluctantly.
  • Record how contact went and the child's response afterwards.
  • Raise concerns promptly if contact is harming the child.
Standard 1

Statement of Purpose & Children's Guide

Every service publishes its aims and what children can expect, plus a children's guide in plain language.

  • Read and understand your service's Statement of Purpose.
  • Make sure every child placed with you has the children's guide in a format they can use.
  • Talk through what the guide means with the child.
  • Keep a copy accessible and review it when it's updated.

Positive Behaviour & Growth

Responding to behaviour with understanding and helping the child develop.

Standard 3

Behaviour Management

A child's behaviour is managed positively, with clear boundaries and without physical punishment.

  • Never use physical chastisement or any degrading response to behaviour.
  • Use de-escalation and positive reinforcement; behaviour is communication.
  • Agree behaviour strategies with the child's social worker.
  • Record any incident where restraint was even considered.
Standard 7

Education

Children are supported to attend and achieve their full educational potential.

  • Support attendance and punctuality; engage with the school.
  • Follow the child's Personal Education Plan and advocate for any special needs.
  • Provide a quiet space for homework and read with younger children.
  • Celebrate effort and achievement, not just results.
Standard 9

Preparation for Adulthood

Children are prepared for adulthood and supported to become independent.

  • Build age-appropriate life skills: cooking, budgeting, travel, relationships.
  • Support the child's aspirations and help them understand their own history.
  • For older children, work with the leaving-care plan.
  • Never assume someone else will teach it.

Professional Practice

The standards that frame you as a skilled, accountable carer.

Standard 12

Training & Development of Foster Carers

Carers are trained and supported to develop the skills they need to meet children's needs.

  • Complete your induction (Skills to Foster) and ongoing training.
  • Keep your training record up to date.
  • Attend mandatory training: safer caring, first aid, behaviour.
  • Identify your own learning needs in supervision and be open to learning.
Standard 13

Support & Supervision of Foster Carers

Carers receive regular support and supervision to care safely and well.

  • Attend regular supervision with your supervising social worker.
  • Raise concerns early, not at crisis point.
  • Ask for respite when you need it; keep a note of issues between supervisions.
  • Treat supervision as professional support, not judgment.
Standard 16

Matching & Placement

Children are placed with carers who can best meet their needs.

  • Be honest about your capacity, skills and household when a placement is proposed.
  • Ask for full information about the child before agreeing.
  • Raise any concerns about the match.
  • You have the right to say no to a placement that isn't right.
Standard 17

Recording

Clear, accurate records are kept for every child.

  • Record significant events, incidents and decisions daily.
  • Keep records factual and non-judgemental.
  • Store records securely and share them with the child where appropriate.
  • Sign and date every entry.
Standard 14

Managing Allegations

Any allegation against a carer is handled fairly, promptly, and with the child's safety first.

  • Report any allegation or concern immediately to your supervising social worker.
  • Do not investigate it yourself.
  • Follow the guidance you're given and keep information confidential.
  • Cooperate fully, and seek your own support — being investigated is distressing.
Standard 20

Complaints

Children and carers can make complaints and have them heard.

  • Make sure the child knows how to complain.
  • Never make a child feel that complaining will count against them.
  • Support them to use an advocate.
  • You can also complain as a carer; follow the complaints procedure.