types of fostering

Short term fostering is anything from a few hours to a few months or years.

A short-term foster carer provides a safe space for a child while plans for the future are
still being made. It can be your role to guide them to their family, to their next foster
home or sometimes to adoption.

A short stay can be the start of something spectacular. The first steps on an exciting
journey that is new for each child in our care, and every foster carer too.

Long-term foster care represents a safe, loving home with a different family for children who can’t live at home.

There’s a lot of thought and care that goes into pairing the right people for long-term care. Long-term foster care provides a safe and secure space for a child – an offer of long-term stability. This means a child becomes part of a secure, stable foster family for life.

Both short-term and long-term fostering covers all types of care, including some more specialist kinds which require a special type of approval including:

This gives the foster family and child some space to breathe. Short breaks are in place so children can spend a little time away from their foster family.

Short breaks, otherwise known as ‘support care’ can involve taking a child in overnight, during the daytime or on weekends. These are usually planned in advance and can become a regular occurrence to support both young people and their foster families.

You may have a lot of valuable parenting know-how which can be shared with the next generation. That’s what parent and child placements offer: helping parents build up the life skills that they need, so they can look after their children and themselves.

Sometimes, different care is needed for children who have more complex behavioural or emotional needs. That can require individuals with specific skillsets or experiences, or it could mean an extra layer of support from our team.