parent and child fostering
what is parent and child fostering?
Parent and child fostering involves fostering babies alongside their parents, welcoming them both into your home.
Through this type of fostering, you help keep families together, whilst teaching parents in foster care new skills, providing a listening ear and nurturing their relationship with their children.
The goal of this specialist type of fostering is for you to care for a parent who really needs support, so they can build up the skills they need, both personally and for their child.
who can benefit from parent and child fostering?
Parent and child fostering is sometimes known as a ‘mother and baby foster placement’ as, in most cases, these are needed for young mums who are about to or have just given birth.
However, this isn’t always the case.
Parent and child fostering could mean providing a safe space for a dad and his baby, an older mum or toddler or sometimes for both parents together, with their child.
what’s expected when parent and child fostering?
With Local Authority help, you’ll nurture the next generation, so they can do the same.
A parent and child foster carer will be expected to:
- Teach parenting skills like feeding, bathing and bedtime routines
- Encourage parents to give children positive attention, emotional warmth and play
- Show parents ways to have a positive bond with their children
- Model good parenting so parents can learn what their babies need and how to respond effectively
- Support parents, who may have had a difficult childhood themselves or experienced domestic violence, to build their own self-esteem, confidence and choices
- Teach household skills like budgeting and preparing meals
- Provide a safe and nurturing home environment for parents to develop their parenting skills
- Observe the parent and child’s daily interactions and progress, and keep detailed records for the assessment. Supervise, but without judgement
- Attend meetings with social workers and other support staff
- Contribute to decisions made around what happens next
what you need to foster a child and parent together?
No two children are the same, and neither are the foster carers they need. At Foster Wales, we celebrate the diversity of our foster carers.
However, for mother and baby fostering, you’ll need to be confident and have experience with young children. This does not mean you must have your own birth children, but you must be able to care solely for an infant and teach another how to do so. You will need to be present at all times.
As with most fostering, you must have a spare bedroom at home for mother and baby fostering. This should be big enough to accommodate the parent and child including a bed, cot, and other furniture such as a changing table.
Read more: Who can foster in Wales?
how long do parent and child foster placements last?
Typically, parent and child fostering will be around 12 weeks, while an assessment is completed on their parenting ability. However, the foster care can be extended if the parent needs a little more time and support.
A mother and baby foster placement may last longer if the mum joins you before she gives birth.
A successful outcome might be for the parent and child to move in with family, into other forms of supported living, or to live independently, well prepared for their role as mum or dad.
are there mother and baby fostering allowances?
Supporting a new parent and infant in need is the main reason many people choose to become a parent and child foster carer, but money will help you to provide this security and guidance. So, every carer is given an allowance for every person in their care alongside their fostering allowances and other benefits the local authority may offer.
Read more: Will I be paid as a foster carer?
what parent and child fostering training is available?
Fostering with another adult in your home alongside their own child brings its unique challenges.
Supporting a parent with their individual strengths and vulnerabilities, combined with maintaining professional communication and applying parenting assessment skills, is a balancing act. Caring for a baby or toddler also requires up-to-date knowledge of best practices in caring for babies and model attachment behaviours.
Parent and child fostering training provided by local authorities offers not only an in-depth look at the roles and responsibilities, but also topics such as healthy pregnancy, promoting attachment, and trauma responses.
We will support you every step of the way, of course. With a dedicated team around you, careful planning and guidance will be in place even before a parent and child move in, outlining all expectations and providing the opportunity for the parent to visit your home and get to know you. There will be ongoing support throughout the 12 weeks, as well as opportunities to attend antenatal or baby services in the community with the parent.
When done well, the training and support provided enables this complex and specialist area of fostering to produce good outcomes.
I’m looking if the parent is responding to the child’s needs; are they fed and changed. Also is there affection with the baby, is there love there?”
