types of fostering
long term fostering
When most people think about fostering, they imagine lots of children coming and going. And, when we speak to people, often the idea of growing “too attached” and “letting children go” is what’s stopping them from becoming foster carers.
But there is another way to foster.
Fostering without the goodbyes. Rather than fostering children for a short time, you could give a family to a child through long term fostering. This is equally valued and needed.
what is long term foster care?
Long term fostering means caring for a child for a number of years, often until they legally become an adult. Also known as permanent foster care, this usually happens when a child or young person in care is unable to return to their birth family and adoption is not possible, or is not what’s right for the child.
the benefits of long term fostering
Long term foster care means a child or young person is raised by one foster family. They are given consistency and a sense of belonging within a family with a stable home address and school education.
Permanent foster care is usually the next step after the child has already been in short term foster care.
Our ultimate goal is for families to be reunited. However, in cases where this has not been possible for any reason, long term fostering will be considered.
Long term foster care is about giving a child your commitment, promising you’ll be there for them long term, through the tough times, being on their side and in their corner until adulthood or even longer. Considering them part of your family, so that they can come home from uni for Christmas.
Be family to them, even if the legalities are different to adoption.
do I get to meet the child first?
Sometimes a child will arrive in an emergency or as a short term plan, but the need or situation evolves into something more long term. The current foster carer can choose to offer long term fostering to that child.
If the foster carer is unable to provide the child with the long term stability or support they need, then a gradual introduction to their new long term foster carers can be planned.
Someone who can be there for them until they are grown up.
We’ve even seen cases where the short term foster carers remain in the children’s lives as a aunt, uncle or grandparent figure.
If you’ve expressed an interest in long term fostering, we’ll approach you if we think you are a good long term foster care match for a child. You’ll receive lots of information about them from their current foster carers and get to meet the children first.
do children in long term foster care ever return to their birth family?
There is always a chance that a birth family’s circumstances can change significantly and the child may wish to try living with them in their teens. Often the child or young person will continue to have a relationship with members of their birth family, who they wish to see.
how long is long term fostering?
If you decide to foster a child long-term, it is likely they will stay with you until adulthood, or longer.
If the child is young, they could be with you for many years as they grow up.
For teenagers, meanwhile, long term foster care aims to provide stability until they are ready to live independently.
Long term fostering doesn’t necessarily mean that you say goodbye at 18. Many foster carers continue to be that young person’s support system long after they move out.
what does a child need from long term fostering?
We spoke to some of our foster carers who have experience with long term fostering to gather some of their insights and advice. Here are their top tips for ensuring you are providing what a child needs from long term fostering:
involve your extended family and friends
“With long term foster care, there’s more to be considered, not just for your immediate family but for extended family and friends, as you are asking them to be part of the journey.
The support of family and friends is invaluable – that’s why it’s important that they are on board with your decision to take up long term fostering. They need to accept the child as part of the family just as much as you do.”
be invested for the long haul
“Making the commitment of long term foster care means that you are invested for the long haul, not just to the age of 18, but beyond that as well – the child needs to know that, for their sense of belonging and security.
Challenges will always be part and parcel of the relationship – they are testing how committed you and the family really are to them. If they sense any uncertainty, it can be irreparable; however, if they feel safe and loved, the rewards are plentiful.”
be family to them
“It’s important for everyone to know who they belong to.
Sometimes, when children feel part of the family in long term fostering, they choose to take on the surname of their foster carer. This has to be the child’s choice.”
reach out to your fostering community for support
“Long term fostering is like having an additional family member, but with extra help and guidance when you need it. The support from fellow foster carers and social workers is still regularly available to you – an invaluable resource you should make the most of!”
treat them the same
“You need to treat the young person as part of the family.
Whether it’s doing their share of chores or taking their views, needs and wants into consideration when making family decisions, make sure you’re treating them as an equal family member.
That also means not giving them more or less than your birth children – treat everyone the same way, for anything from pocket money to designer clothes.”
abbey’s story
Abbey lived with her foster family from the time she was four years old until she turned 17. She recalls that they never tried to replace her mum, but instead provided the additional care and support she needed.
“I remember my foster carers sitting in school meetings with me, when I got into trouble. They’d say that my mum wouldn’t want me going down her footsteps. They’d take my phone off me but didn’t push me away when I played up. They helped me, not reject me cause I’m not their own child. My foster carers still never gave up and helped me change my life for the better.”
Even though she’s no longer living with them, Abbey’s bond with her foster family is still going strong – they see each other all the time, and celebrate big life milestones together.
Read her full story: Abbey’s story
teens need somewhere to call home too
Teens need family too.
Offering a teenager a home for their final years in care gives them somewhere to call home, to spread their wings from, and learn how to be ready for adult life.
Long term fostering doesn’t stop when they turn 18.
“When I Am Ready” (or ‘Staying Put’ in England), means that a young person in long term foster care can remain with you until they reach 21, and even then the support doesn’t stop until they reach 25.
This gives our young people the opportunity to attend college, uni, or find work and be ready for independence, so they can be more like their peers.
short vs long term foster care
Short term foster care is used to describe periods of fostering which can span anything from an overnight to a couple of years. This type of care is needed while a child’s situation is assessed, and a more comprehensive plan is put into place.
For children who are unable to return to family, they may move from short term to long term foster care, providing them with support and stability through to adulthood.
long term fostering vs adoption: what’s the difference?
We outline the main differences between fostering and adoption in our blog ‘5 differences between fostering and adopting’ but here are our top seven at a glance:
- Support From Social Services – When a child is in permanent foster care, there is a community of support around them and their foster family from social services, Foster Wales, and other foster families. However, when a child is adopted, the regular involvement from social services ends, but is still available when needed through adoption support.
- Legal Responsibility – Not only does the involvement of social services determine the regular support provided, but the legal responsibility for the child, too. When a child is in long term foster care, this remains with the local authority, However, following adoption the legal responsibility fully transfers to the adoptive family. When you adopt a child, you become the child’s parent.
- Decision Making – An adoptive parent will make all decisions for a child. However, the parental responsibility and decision-making for a child in long-term foster care is shared between the birth parent and local authority which delegates responsibility to the foster carer.
- Finances – All foster carers are given an allowance to care for the children. Adoptive parents have financial responsibility for raising their child, which can be supported by means-tested adoption allowance. Read more: Foster carer pay (the ultimate guide!)
- Family Ties – For younger children, particularly when a child is a baby or infant, adoption may be the right choice for them long-term as it will offer them a fresh start and often a change of surname. However, older children are likely to have a better sense of who they are, their own identity, with strong family relationships. In this case, long term fostering may be more suitable.
- Contact With Birth Family – These days, most adoptions are ‘open’. This means that the child knows they are adopted, who their birth family is, and they may have occasional contact e.g. birthday or Christmas. While long term foster care provides permanence and stability, children don’t need to say goodbye to their birth parents or other family members. Depending on the individual circumstances, a child in long term care could see their siblings, grandparents or birth parents as regularly as once a week or a few times a month.
- Mindset and Motivation – Whether living with adoptive parents or foster carers, a child will be loved and well-cared for. However, in our experience, there is a difference in mindset and motivations: Adoptive parents may be looking for a child to permanently join their family, take on their name and be a parent perhaps for the first time. Whereas foster carers tend to open their homes to help a range of children, prepare them for their next stage in life or to return home, whilst working alongside the birth family and children’s services.
thinking of becoming a foster carer?
If you would like to learn more about the types of fostering, including long term foster care, please get in touch with your local authority team.
Alternatively, to find out more about adoption, contact the National Adoption Service.
