Boy and dog together on a boardwalk in the forest

Types of fostering

We have lots of different ways that people can foster. We want to get to know you so that together, we can all figure out which is the right type of fostering for you, that will make the best use of your skills and experience.

Emergency symbol

Emergency

This means providing a placement at very short notice – a few hours usually - to a child who needs a home now.

Sometimes we know very little about these children and the main concern is finding them somewhere safe to be at a difficult time in their life. The placements usually last a few days and then the child may return home, or move to another foster carer.

Respite symbol

Respite

This is providing a placement for a few days or a couple of weeks in a situation where the usual foster carer needs a break.

At the end of the placement, the child will return to their usual foster placement.

Calendar and clock symbol

Short Term

This can be for a few days, weeks or months up to 2 years, depending on the child’s situation.

This usually happens whilst decisions are being made about whether the child can return to live with a parent or not.

Calendar symbol

Long Term

This can be for many years, until the child reaches 18 and happens once it has been decided that the child cannot be cared for safely by their parent.

Sometimes, a short term placement can become a long term placement when everyone - especially the foster carer - agrees that would be the right thing for the child.

Parent and child symbol

Parent and Child

This is a placement for a parent with their child (usually a very young child or baby), where we think that the parent needs some extra support to learn how to be a good parent.

These are situations where there is some worry about whether the child is safe with the parent, and the foster carer will be asked to contribute to the thinking and planning about this. These are complex placements to have and we would want carers to be either very experienced at fostering, or to have some additional specialist knowledge to help them in this task. These placements are really important for children, and they key tasks are about helping the children to settle down and develop a good and stable routine. This role attracts an enhanced fee for the foster carer due to the complex nature of the placement.

Moving clock symbol

Short Breaks

This is providing regular placements for children who live with their parents, and have some level of additional need. The child will return to the parent at the end of the short break.

Short break placements normally last for a few days only and are regularly spaced and planned through the year as part of the support package to the child’s family. The child has their short break with the same carer each time, so that a relationship is built up.

House and heart symbol

Remand
Fostering

This is where a young person between the ages of 10 and 17 has been charged with a criminal offence and needs to be placed in a care setting rather than in custody, which can be very damaging for young people.

These young people will have additional involvement and support from the Youth Offending Service and other services. Your job will be to support them through the whole process, including a trial if there is one. You will have additional training and enhanced support for this role. We would generally want these young people to be the only or youngest child in the household. This role is especially suitable for people with previous fostering experience or experience with teenagers and attracts an enhanced fee for the foster carer due to the complex nature of the placement.

House symbol

Step-down
Fostering

Family settings work better for most young people and provide a better foundation for their growing independence.

We need experienced and skilled carers to work with us to achieve this. This involves working in a very structured and managed way with our local residential settings and is a really exciting and rewarding way to foster and make a huge difference to the lives and life chances of children. This role is especially suitable for people with previous fostering experience or experience with teenagers and attracts an enhanced fee for the foster carer due to the complex nature of the placement.

Enquireabout fostering

Page last reviewed: 01 November 2023