Darlington residents who already foster, or are thinking about becoming foster carers, can enrol on a new free learning programme beginning on Wednesday 4 November.
The Fostering Pathway programme is being offered by Learning & Skills Darlington. It combines practical learning about caring for children and young people with an introduction to the responsibilities involved in fostering. The council says the course is free for people living in Darlington.
What will the course cover?
Learners will have the opportunity to work towards a Level 1 Award in Introduction to Health, and Children's and Young People's Settings. That qualification is intended as a foundation for people exploring work or further in care and children's services, rather than as a professional fostering approval.
The programme covers child development, , positive care practices and . Sessions will also consider keeping children safe online, handling allegations, confidentiality and , and communication with children, families and professionals.
Darlington's course listing also includes fostering standards, the role of foster carers and the creation of child-centred pen portraits. These are short written accounts used to keep the child's needs and circumstances at the centre of planning and communication. Record-keeping and responsible information-sharing form part of the wider skills covered by the pathway.
Other subjects include understanding autism and learning disabilities, inclusive support, healthy eating and Making Every Contact Count, a public-health approach to using everyday conversations to support wellbeing.
Learning from people with experience
The council says the programme will involve guest speakers from fostering, childcare and children's services, peer mentors with lived experience, and people working in the sector. It is aimed at current foster carers as well as adults who want to explore whether fostering, childcare or supporting children and families could be right for them.
The course page lists possible next steps including foster-carer preparation programmes, volunteering with children and families, childcare and early-years qualifications, and wider children's or health and social care routes. It also points to Level 2 learning in areas such as children's , autism, behaviour that challenges and caring for children and young people.
Training is not the same as approval to foster
There is an important distinction for anyone considering fostering for the first time. Completing the course does not make someone an approved foster carer, guarantee a fostering placement or promise employment.
Anyone who wishes to go on to foster must still apply through Foster with North East and complete the separate assessment process, including the relevant checks and references. The regional service works with local councils to guide prospective foster carers through that process.
How to find out more
The course is due to begin on 4 November 2026. The council's announcement does not specify a session time or teaching venue, so prospective learners should check the latest enrolment details rather than assume a particular timetable.
Full pathway information and adult-learning contact details are available on Darlington Borough Council's learning and skills pages. The page provides an application link and directs anyone needing help to the service's contact options.
The council announced the programme on 15 October. For residents weighing up a future in fostering or children's services, the November start offers a structured way to learn what the work involves before making a longer-term commitment.