Home insurance for foster carers

10 key question to ask a potential insurer

1. Does being a foster carer affect my home insurance? Are there any restrictions, reductions or exclusions to my policy because I’m a foster carer?
2. Do you cover my foster children’s possessions as contents of my home? Are there any restrictions, reductions or exclusions to this? 
3. Would you provide cover for any accidental damage caused to my home and possessions (buildings and contents) by a foster child in my care? 
4. Would you provide cover for any intentional or malicious damage caused by a foster child in my care? If you do, what would I need to provide as evidence to support my claim?
5. Do you need me to tell you when my fostering arrangements change – for example, if I’m caring for new foster children, or if foster children leave my care? If you do, what information would you need me to provide and how quickly could you confirm if cover is available?
6. Do I need to tell you if a foster child in my care has a history of causing damage, or has been in trouble with the police? 
7. Do you have a cap on how many foster children I can have in my care at any one time? 
8. If I needed to make a claim, what is your claims process?  
9. Do you have a team that understands my role as a foster carer? Do you understand that I will have occupation-related visitors to my home regularly, such as social workers?
10. Am I able to get specific foster home insurance advice at any stage during my policy period?

Why you should ask these questions

With standard home insurance, it may not be enough to just tell your insurer that you’re a foster carer. Some insurance companies may not fully understand what it means to be a foster carer, and some may consider that you’re using your home as a ‘business premises’.

If you don’t speak to any potential insurers about your role, you may find that you are not covered for things you assume would be included. Telling an insurer may not make any difference to your policy or premium, but it’s very important for you to understand what you are and are not covered for.

Some specific things to think about are: 

• Your foster children’s possessions. This may seem like a standard part of being a foster carer, but you need to make sure that any insurer considers your foster children’s possessions to be contents of your home. If not, and any of their belongings get lost or accidentally damaged, your insurer may not pay out.
• Intentional damage to your home or possessions. You may have children in your care who have experienced distressing situations and who show signs of anger. This could result in them damaging your home or possessions. It’s important to be clear about whether any damage caused intentionally, rather than accidentally (including any theft or attempted theft), is covered under your policy. 
• The evidence to make a claim. If an insurer can extend your policy to include intentional damage and theft cover, you should check with them how you would claim under this section of the policy. For example, if you need to have a crime reference number to progress the claim, you would need to involve the police. We understand that this is likely the last thing you want for your foster children, so it’s worth considering whether you would be able, and comfortable, to claim on this kind of cover. There are specialist insurance providers who can offer policies where there is no need for crime reference numbers for claims of this nature to be processed. The Fosteing Network can advise on this.
• Awareness of your role and what it involves. It is unlikely that a standard home insurance provider will understand what it really means to be a foster carer. It may be that an insurer understands that fostering is your occupation but asks you to let them know about all children newly in your care, and whether they have a history of causing damage. It’s important to consider whether this is something you feel able to do, if asked. Your insurer may also not appreciate that it’s a standard requirement for you to receive occupation-related visitors (such as social workers) to your home, so it is important to make sure that this isn’t going to have an impact on your cover.