Bedroom sharing

Each child living in the foster home, whether they are a child of the foster family or a child in care should have a bedroom of their own. However, in some circumstances it may be appropriate for sharing to take place. For carers own children, it is a matter for the family to agree. For children who are fostered, any sharing must be risk assessed. Sharing may be appropriate in the following circumstances: 

• Siblings of the same gender and where sharing has been risk assessed, and in the case of older children, they are in agreement.
• Siblings of different genders up to the age of six may share, as long as the risk assessment indicates this is appropriate. 

Unrelated children should notshare a bedroom unless there are exceptional circumstances; e.g. children of the same gender and aged three and under; and where the placement has been matched and risk assessed; or there are strong supporting factors that indicate a significant benefit to the children for whom the bedroom share is proposed. 

Where it is known that a child/young person has abused or significantly harmed another child, or where the risk assessment identifies that a child’s behaviour is likely to be harmful to other children, then a bedroom share will not be agreed. 

Babies aged between 0 – 24 months (maximum) can sleep in a cot in a foster carer’s bedroom.  The Fostering Service will, therefore, only place babies aged between 0 – 12 months with foster carers, who have no other appropriate bedroom available, unless it is for a planned short break . If a baby is 6 months old or more, at the time of placement, and it is known that the placement duration is likely to be for 12 months or more, then the baby will only be placed with a foster carer who will have a suitable bedroom available at the time appropriate for the baby to move into a bedroom.