Types of foster care

Foster carers are needed to provide a stable home for children and young people who come into care at risk or if their needs are not being met. Every child is different and may require care just overnight or until they’re ready to live alone.

If you wish to apply to foster a child, think about your family situation and skills. During the assessment you can look into more foster schemes which may apply to you, these include:

Short term/mainstream fostering

• Children ages 0 to 18 years or 24 if still in education will live with you full time
• They look after a child until long term plans are made
• This could be an overnight stay or last up to two to three years.

Long term/ permanent fostering

• For children who cannot return to their birth families
• You care for the child until they are 18 or 24 if still in education.

Specialist fostering scheme

• For foster carers looking to care for children with high needs
• Children with learning, behavioural, disability and/or mental health challenges.

Respite care/ Short breaks scheme

• Caring for a child in your home to give parents or foster carers a short break
• Offering full-time carers and specialist carers support
• Could be one weekend a month, one evening a week, or school holidays.

Parent-and-child fostering

• Nurture birth parents and their child/ren
• Help new parents develop confidence in their parenting skills
• Help guide parents with hygiene, healthy eating, play and stimulation for their child
• Helps to keep children with their birth parents.

Supported lodgings providers (not fostering)

• Assessment complete within two months
• Accommodating people between 16 and 24 who can’t live with their families
• Offer them a room in your home
• Give them advice and guidance whilst they prepare to enter adulthood
• Help them develop independent living skills like cooking, cleaning, and money management.