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Types of fostering

Fostering means looking after children or young people in your own home for either not permanent or permanent placements, or for short breaks, whilst their families are unable to provide care for them.

Whenever possible, children return to their birth family, but if they are unable to do so other plans are made for them, and we work with the local authority to put those care plans into action.

Many aspects are considered before a child is placed with a foster carer or fostering family, and every effort is made to ensure that the child and a foster carer’s own family are well matched; this includes taking into account cultural and religious considerations.

There are several different types of fostering to cover the needs of the many children that require the care and security of a foster carer or family. Below are some of the types of fostering; this list is not exhaustive but outlines the most frequently requested types of foster care.

Not permanent

This is to enable Children's Services to offer support and assessment to the child’s family in order to make decisions about whether the child should return home or move to a permanent placement. These placements can last from a few days to several months, depending on Local Authority planning and court decisions. A non-permanent placement may become permanent if this is agreed and appropriate.

Permanent

For children or young people whose families are unable to look after them but who remain very much part of their lives, adoption is not an appropriate option. When a child has been settled and happy with his/her carers for over a year, many Foster Carers will make a commitment to the child until they reach the age of eighteen years and beyond if necessary.

Unaccompanied and sanctuary-seeking children

Asylum, or sanctuary-seeking children often arrive from overseas fleeing political violence, exploitation, or war. Their knowledge of local customs and language may be very limited, and they are placed with a foster family whilst the local authority arranges a long-term care plan.

Children with disabilities

As a foster parent of a child or young person with disabilities, you’ll be offering specialist care to children whose challenges may extend to mobility problems, sensory disabilities, learning difficulties and complex medical conditions. Providing a safe and loving home may feel daunting, but the positive impact you can have is remarkable.

Short breaks

Short Breaks might be a period of a few hours, overnight or for several days or weeks. These placements give families help at times of crisis, such as hospital admissions; support for other foster carers who may need a short break; help if they have a personal situation which means they cannot foster for a brief period of time.

Parent & child

This requires a certified training course about how to support a new teenage parent, or a new parent with special needs who might have never experienced a stable family environment themselves. This type of placement gives the new parent and their babies help and guidance in learning essential skills and can be from several weeks to several months - depending on the progress the parent makes in learning to care responsibly and appropriately for their child.

Sibling groups

When children are placed into foster care, keeping siblings together is a crucial part of the child and carer matching process. Sibling group placements require foster carers with homes big enough for multiple foster children and the capability to meet their needs.

Emergency

Emergency placements offer short term care to children and young people when unexpected events happen in their home life and it is unsafe for them to remain in that setting. If violence in the home, the sudden illness or death of a parent, or a safeguarding issue arises, emergency foster carers step in to provide care and a safe space.

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