What are the different types of fostering?

As a foster carer, you can decide the type of fostering you’d like to do, or be open-minded. Where they have the space to do so, many of our carers do a combination of a few types. This is often influenced by your skills, family make up and other circumstances.

Short Term

Caring for a child short term is essentially caring for them while future plans are made. This can include the child returning home, a special guardianship order, adoption or move to permanent fostering. Court proceedings can be taking place during this time so you could be caring for a child for varying lengths of time.

Emergency

This is caring for children at short notice, often following a phone call at weekends or during the evening. This is usually for a few nights up to a few weeks, whilst longer-term plans are made.

Permanent (also called Long Term)

Providing permanent foster carer is committing to care for the child until they reach independence at 18+. For some children, permanent foster care helps to give them the stability of being part of a consistent family unit, but also allows them to maintain the bonds they have with their own families, including their parents and siblings if appropriate.

“Long term fostering allowed me to build up lifelong relationships with the now adults I have cared for and gives a great deal of satisfaction seeing how the young people progress and move into adult life.” Craig, 47 from Warrington

Carer to carer short stays (also called Respite)

Carer to carer short stays is providing care on a one-off or regular basis, supporting another foster carer or a child’s family member to sustain the longer term care for a child. For example, you may give everyone a break by caring for a child one weekend a month. Carer to carer short stays can also include supporting other carers or family members in times of crisis or ill health.

Parent and Child

Caring for a parent and child can be incredibly rewarding. As a parent and child carer, you care for both a parent, often a young mother, and their child, often a new-born baby. The aim of parent and child fostering is to keep them together. As a parent and child carer, you will be modelling positive parenting, providing support with things such as feeding and sleep routines, and will work closely alongside social workers to help them to undertake parenting assessments. This is a specialist type of fostering and as such you will receive enhanced fees and specific training.

Short Breaks for Disabled Children

With all types of fostering, some children may have additional needs. The short breaks schemes are slightly different, in that the children you look after will not necessarily be children in care. Short Breaks for Disabled Children help families who have children with additional needs to have a regular short break from caring. This can help families to spend time with their other children perhaps, or just help to manage the demands of caring. As a short breaks carer, you would be matched to a child or children and give them a regular break, perhaps one weekend per month.

Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children

When caring for unaccompanied asylum seeking children, very little may be known about the child and they are likely to have experienced trauma prior to leaving their home country. Many have been separated from their families and they often arrive frightened and distressed. The foster carer will need to understand the child’s culture and religion to value and maintain these whilst helping them settle into their new life in the UK. The child may speak little or no English and may not be aware of British culture, the foster carer will need to provide practical and emotional support and help them settle into their new community.

Siblings

We need more foster carers to care for sibling groups. Wherever we can and it’s in the best interests of the children, we try to keep sibling groups together. Joining a new family and moving to a new home can be an overwhelming experience so having a brother or sister there to support them can make a huge difference to how children settle into their new foster home.

“Our first placement was 2 brothers aged 5&7 it was important to us that we could provide a home where they could grow up together.” Angela, 50 from Runcorn

Children with disabilities

We need more foster carers to care for children with physical disabilities, medical conditions or learning difficulties. You will receive specific training, support and an additional allowance to recognise the skills and experience needed to care for a child with a disability.

Understandably you may have other questions about fostering after reading this blog, if you do please get in touch with our friendly team on 01925 444100, email fosteringrecruitment@warrington.gov.uk or complete an enquiry form at Enquire – Foster 4.