Types of foster care

Foster care does not necessarily require a full time commitment. There is a wide range of children who need looked after for varying amounts of time. You can care for all ages of children ranging from babies to teenagers.

Emergency
These carers provide time limited placements at short notice. Emergency carers may be contacted late at night or over a weekend.

Respite
These carers foster children for short periods, usually on a regular basis to give birth parents or foster carers a break. The length of break can vary from one weekend a month to a two or three week period.

Short term
Carers look after children full time in their home but the length of stay can vary depending on the child’s family circumstances. During this time Trust staff will work with the family to try to return the child or children home. If that is not possible, staff will look for a long term placement for the child through fostering or adoption.

Long term
Carers provide long term care to foster children who will not be able to return to live with their own families. A child’s family may have been unable to change in a way that will protect them from harm. In these situations long term or permanent fostering allows a child to grow up in a loving, safe and supportive family environment while retaining the connections with their birth family.

The majority of children who need long term care will not be babies or toddlers. Generally these will be children between the ages of six and early teens. Some may have lived through distressing or traumatic experiences and may, as a result, display challenging behaviour. However most children’s lives can be turned around through fostering where they can be helped to achieve successful and happy futures.

Fee paid
These carers look after children or young people with more complex needs and/or challenging behaviour. These are more demanding placements in which a fee is paid in addition to fostering allowances as it is anticipated that the carer will have to devote more time to the child.

Dual approval
Adoptive carers can apply to foster while waiting for an adoptive placement.

Specialist schemes
The five Health and Social Care Trusts have various schemes that take account of the specialist needs of some children, e.g. adolescents. These will generally attract a fee.

Kinship care
Family or friends of the child or their parents may offer to care for them.