What is Fostering?
- Caring for a child or young person in your own home when their family are unable to do so
- Making a real commitment to care for a child or young person for as long as it is required
- Supporting a child or young person come to terms with difficult times and stages in their lives and not giving up on them.
- Helping a child or young person to keep in contact with their families
- Receiving support from your Supervising Social Worker and working together with other Professionals
- Providing a safe, secure and sable environment for children and young people
- Commitment to training to develop and update your skills and knowledge
Types Of Fostering
- Some Foster Carers look after children for specific short periods of time. This can be for families and other Foster Carers if they have to go away or need a break. This is called
Respite fostering
- Some choose to foster a child until they are able to live independently. This type of fostering is called
Long term
which means the Carer has made a permanent commitment to the child.
- In most cases it is not clear how long the child or young person may stay with you as this is different in each circumstance. This is called
Short term
fostering and is suitable for people who enjoy challenges.
- More specialist foster care can be
Parent & baby Placements
, a teenage mum and her baby. In these cases the Foster Carer supports the teenage mum and baby to stay together.
- Some children may have a disability or learning disability. This type of fostering is known as caring for
Special needs.
- Fostering has become more diverse and the need to foster refugee children has increased. This type of fostering is known as fostering
unaccompanied minors
who have come to the UK to seek asylum.
How long are children fostered for?
How long children are fostered depends on the child's circumstances and in some cases children might need to be fostered for much longer. This can be for a few weeks or months before a child can return home, while the social workers and others try to resolve more serious problems within the family.
Why are children fostered?
There a many reasons why children are fostered; it is important to remember that every child's circumstances are different and complex. Here is a list of a few reasons children are fostered:
- A child experiencing neglect, physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
- A parent who is suffering from mental health or illness
- A child whose parents are unable to care for them due to death, imprisonment, seeking asylum or abandoned
- A child's parent misusing drugs and alcohol
- Parents who experience domestic violence.
- Families needing a break
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