Children and young people who are fostered are not able to live with their birth family, which can be for any number of reasons. Therefore, foster carers may be required to care for a child or young person for a short period of time, perhaps due to a crisis in the child’s or young person’s birth family, or for longer periods of time where it has been decided that a child or young person can’t be safely cared for within their birth family.
During your assessment your supervising social worker will discuss with you what types of children you are open to fostering and will make a recommendation about what type of foster care to approve you for.
Mainstream fostering
There are two types of mainstream fostering these are short-term and long-term fostering.
Short-term fostering
Most children come into care short-term whilst social workers complete assessments in order to make plans for a child to either return to their birth family or to find a permanent placement through adoption or long-term fostering. As a short-term foster carer you will offer a home to lots of different children over time.
Long-term fostering
Most children who are fostered return to their birth family, but for some this is not possible and therefore these children require a long-term foster home. Many children who need long-term homes are aged 8 years and above and often need a foster home that they can share with their brothers and sisters. Caring for a child long-term means you support them into young adulthood. This often includes supporting their contact with their birth family over the years.
Sometimes our young people stay with their foster carers after their 18th birthday, this is known as ‘Staying Put’.
Other types of fostering
Step Up fostering
Step Up fostering helps to find foster carers for children and young people who are ready to leave residential care. Step Up fostering is best suited to individuals who have previous experience of working with children and young people.
Emergency fostering
Emergency foster carers take care of children in emergency situations, at any time of day or night. They take care of children for up to 72 hours at a time.
Register interest
