Do Grandparents in Foster Carer Families Need to Take Part in Training and Development?

Becoming a foster carer often feels like a decision made by one person or one couple, but fostering rarely works in isolation. The people around you can play a huge part in helping a child feel welcome, settled, and supported, especially grandparents and close family members who may naturally become part of everyday life.

For many families, that raises questions about what is expected from the wider household. Do grandparents need to attend training? What happens if they help with childcare? Are DBS checks needed if they are regularly involved? It can sometimes sound overwhelming from the outside, but much of the process is simply about making sure everyone around a child understands how to provide a safe, supportive, and consistent environment.

At Family Fostering Partners, we know fostering is strongest when the wider family feels informed, included, and confident too. Training and development are not there to catch people out or make life difficult. They are designed to help foster carers and the people around them better understand trauma, routines, safeguarding, and the everyday realities that can come with caring for children who are fostered.

The Importance of Training and Development

Training and development are a central part of becoming a foster carer because fostering involves far more than simply providing a spare room or helping with day-to-day routines. Children who are fostered may have experienced trauma, instability, neglect, loss, or disrupted relationships before entering care, and training helps foster carers understand how those experiences can affect behaviour, emotions, communication, and trust.

In England and Wales, foster carers are expected to complete ongoing training as part of the national standards for fostering. This usually begins with pre-approval training such as Skills to Foster, before continuing with development courses after approval. Topics often include safeguarding, attachment and trauma, first aid, online safety, equality and diversity, behaviour support, record keeping, and understanding the needs of children at different ages and stages.

Good training is not about turning families into professionals reading from a script. It is there to help foster carers feel more confident and better prepared for real-life situations that can arise in everyday family life. It also helps create consistency around children who are fostered, so the adults supporting them understand safe care practices, confidentiality, routines, and how to respond calmly and appropriately during difficult moments.

Extended Members in Foster Care Families and Training 

Extended family members are not usually expected to complete the same level of training as an approved foster carer, but there are situations where some involvement may be encouraged or needed. This often depends on how involved they are in the day-to-day care of children who are fostered.

For example, grandparents or other relatives who regularly help with school runs, babysitting, overnight stays, holidays, or childcare may be asked to understand certain areas of fostering more fully. That could include safeguarding expectations, confidentiality, safe care practices, or how to respond appropriately to behaviours linked to trauma or anxiety. The aim is not to make extended family members feel scrutinised, but to make sure everyone around a child is helping to create a safe and consistent environment.

As with other families, many foster families naturally rely on grandparents and close relatives for support, just like any other family would. Having people around who understand the realities of fostering can often make placements feel more stable and less overwhelming, particularly during busy periods or unexpected situations.

What Happens If Grandparents Help With Childcare?

Many foster carers rely on grandparents or close family members for help with childcare, whether that is school runs, babysitting, or support during holidays. In most cases, this is absolutely fine, but fostering agencies will usually want to understand how involved those family members are in day-to-day care.

If grandparents provide regular childcare or overnight care, the fostering agency may need to carry out checks such as a DBS check or discuss the arrangement in more detail. This is simply to make sure children who are fostered are being cared for safely and consistently by adults who understand important areas such as safeguarding, confidentiality, routines, and emotional needs.

Occasional help from trusted family members is a normal part of family life, and at Family Fostering Partners, we recognise how valuable that support can be. Open communication with your fostering agency is usually the most important part, especially if grandparents are likely to play a regular role in caring for a child.

Do Grandparents & Other Family Members Need a DBS Check?

A DBS check is not automatically required for every grandparent or extended family member connected to a foster carer household, but there are situations where one may be needed. This usually depends on how much involvement that person has in the care of children who are fostered.

For example, if grandparents regularly provide childcare, spend significant unsupervised time with a child, offer overnight care, or live in the foster carer household, a fostering agency may request a DBS check as part of safeguarding procedures. Agencies have a responsibility to make sure everyone closely involved around a child is suitable and safe.

In fostering households, enhanced DBS checks are normally required for adults living in the home as part of the fostering assessment process. Additional checks may also be considered where extended family members play an ongoing role in supporting placements.

Why Independent Fostering Agencies Like Ours Involve the Whole Family

Fostering does not just affect one person. Even when there is one approved foster carer, the reality is that the wider household and close family members often become part of a child’s daily life too. Grandparents may help with childcare, partners may share routines and responsibilities, and extended family members may be present during holidays, birthdays, and family gatherings.

That is why independent fostering agencies like Family Fostering Partners take a wider view of support and assessment. It is important for everyone around children who are fostered to understand boundaries, safeguarding, confidentiality, and the emotional needs that can come with care experiences. Children may need consistency, patience, reassurance, and predictable routines, especially while settling into a new environment.

Involving the whole family also helps identify the support network available to a foster carer. Strong support around a fostering household can make a real difference during challenging periods, emergencies, school issues, or busy family life. It can also help children feel more included and secure when the people around them understand fostering properly.

The Training and Development we Offer at Family Fostering Partners 

At Family Fostering Partners, we believe good training should help foster carers feel supported and prepared in real-life situations, not overwhelmed with information that does not reflect day-to-day fostering. That is why training and development continue throughout your fostering journey, rather than stopping once you are approved.

All applicants complete the mandatory Skills to Foster training as part of the assessment process, giving you a strong foundation around safeguarding, therapeutic care, child development, and the realities of fostering. From there, ongoing development is tailored to help foster carers build confidence and respond to the individual needs of children who are fostered.

We also provide a Core Training Programme made up of specialist modules designed to deepen understanding around therapeutic parenting and the challenges children may face before entering care. Alongside formal training, foster carers have access to regular supervision, peer support groups, and 24/7 support from our experienced team, because questions and challenges do not only happen during office hours.

Want to Chat in More Detail?

Starting the fostering journey can bring up lots of smaller questions that people do not always think about straight away, especially around family life, routines, support networks, and how fostering fits into your home as a whole.

At Family Fostering Partners, we take the time to talk through those details properly, helping people understand what fostering could look like in a practical, realistic way for their own situation.

If you are considering becoming a foster carer and would like to speak to somebody from our team, get in touch today for a friendly, no-pressure conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Grandparents and Foster Care Training

Do grandparents need to attend fostering training?

Grandparents are not usually required to complete the same mandatory training as approved foster carers. However, if they play a regular role in supporting children who are fostered, fostering agencies may encourage them to understand areas such as safeguarding, confidentiality, and trauma-informed care.

Do grandparents need a DBS check in fostering households?

Not always. A DBS check is generally only considered necessary if grandparents regularly provide childcare, have significant unsupervised contact with children who are fostered, offer overnight care, or live within the fostering household.

Can grandparents help with childcare for foster carers?

Yes. Many foster carers rely on grandparents and extended family members for childcare support, school runs, babysitting, or help during holidays. Fostering agencies will usually just want to understand how involved those family members are and make sure appropriate safeguarding procedures are followed.

Why do fostering agencies involve the wider family?

Independent fostering agencies often involve the wider family because fostering works best when children feel supported by a safe, stable, and understanding network around them. Helping close family members understand routines, boundaries, and emotional needs can make fostering feel more consistent and supportive for everyone involved.