Some children and young people need fostering for just a few days, while others may need the care of a safe family environment until adulthood.
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.
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 their 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.
These placements can last from a few days up to two years, depending on local authority planning and court decisions. This is to enable Social 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. A non-permanent placement may become permanent if this is agreed and appropriate.
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.
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.
As a foster parent of a child or young person with disabilities, you’ll be offering specialist care to a child 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 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; or help if they have a personal situation which means they cannot foster for a brief period of time.
Get in touch to arrange an informal chat with our carer enquiry team.
