We deal with three main types of fostering: short term and emergency, long term (permanent) and respite. It’s useful to start thinking about what is right for you.

Short term is often where a child has just been removed from home and needs to be looked after while assessments and work are done to help them go home again. If this is not possible, or safe, then plans will be made for their long term future with foster parents, or an adoptive family. Other children come to us because their foster family can no longer cope with them or meet all their needs.

Some short term carers go on to become long term families for children who cannot go back to their own families.

Long term fostering is for children who need a stable home for the rest of their childhood where they are too old or too demanding to be adopted. Often they will stay in touch with their birth family and still have strong loyalties to them. As a carer for many years they may be part of your family for ever too.

Respite foster care is a way of helping other carers or parents cope with difficult times by offering to care for a child for some weekends or a couple of weeks in the school holidays.

It can make all the difference if carers have time to recharge their batteries!