Children, of all ages, are fostered for various reasons, often due to unsafe or unstable home environments, neglect, abuse, or parental challenges such as substance abuse, mental health issues or bereavement.
Fostering involves providing a nurturing environment for children who are unable to live with their birth families. There are various types of fostering tailored to meet the individual and diverse needs of children
The types of fostering you can offer will depend on your personal circumstances, but many of our foster carers are approved to offer more than one type of placement.
Short-Term Fostering:
This type of fostering is temporary and can last for a few days, weeks, or months. It’s often for children who need immediate care due to emergencies, family crises, or until a long-term plan is established.
Long-Term Fostering:
Long-term fostering provides a stable home environment for children who cannot return to their birth families. This arrangement means the foster family will care for the child or young person until they reach adulthood. This usually happens when a child or young person is unable to return to their birth family and adoption is not possible.
Respite Fostering:
Respite carers offer short breaks to full-time foster families, or parents, giving them a break where this is needed. Respite could be for a weekend, during school holidays, or for specific occasions. These breaks help foster carers offer continued support to a child living with them, without which, they may not be able to do this.
As a respite carer you may have the same child staying with you on a regular basis, or it may be one off support for their family or foster carers.
Parent and Child Fostering:
A parent and child fostering arrangement is a specialism where a parent/s and their baby or young child are placed together with a fostering family. This type of fostering can be enormously rewarding for foster carers who support and mentor new parents, at the same time as ensuring the safety of their child. These types of arrangements are usually time limited and foster carers offering Parent and Child fostering need to complete specialist training.
Emergency Fostering:
Emergency foster care provides immediate placements for children who have been removed from their homes due to emergency safety concerns or crisis such as;
- Violence in the home and the child is in danger
- An accident or fire at home
- The child’s parent or guardian has experienced a sudden illness or passed away
In these emergency situations, foster parents provide vulnerable children with somewhere safe to stay and comfort them during these times of uncertainty and distress whilst a longer term solution is found.
Emergency fostering placements may be required at any time of the day or night. We provide a 24-hour placement service to local authorities, so we’re able to support children and young people in these emergency situations.
Specialist Fostering:
Specialist foster care is designed for children with specific needs, including disabilities, behavioural challenges, or medical conditions. Carers in this category receive additional training to cater to these unique requirements.
Each type of fostering requires different skills, training, and support systems.