short term fostering
The main focus of short term foster care is providing a safe place.
It’s known as ‘short-term fostering’ but it can last anything from days to months. However long it is, the focus is always offering children a a warm welcome, a safe place and a stable and loving environment during an uncertain time in their lives.
Think of short term fostering as a stepping stone. Children who need this type of care are in a period of transition, with decisions being made about what their future looks like long-term.
types of short term fostering
emergency care and short term fostering
Sometimes short-term fostering could begin with an emergency. This is a situation where children may come into care for the first time, arriving at short notice. Often, this type of situation also involves the police removing children from an unsafe home environment. You may be the first foster carer they meet.
This can be a difficult time for children and your role is to be there for them. Emergency care is usually a few days, typically a Friday night to Monday morning.
During this time, the local authority social workers will be identifying if any relatives are available to care for the children, or if more time is needed.
Emergency foster care can then develop into short-term fostering, if children can remain in a safe place with you while a plan is considered.
Where possible, we aim to reunite children with their birth family. Where that isn’t possible, or isn’t considered the best option for the child, you will provide children with a stable home life while all options are explored.
short term fostering pre-adoption
Before moving onto adoption, most children are in short-term foster care first. Fostering babies and pre-school children often involves caring for a child for up to a year or more, before they return to their family or move to an adoptive family.
short term fostering into long term
Short-term foster carers can also provide a smooth transition to another foster carer offering longer term care. Or, if you are a good match, you can discuss offering longer term care to a child yourself.
short term fostering for teens
Short-term care can also be for a teenager, who may need a loving home environment for the next couple of months or years, until they are 18 or older.
Young refugees often arrive in this country aged 16+, looking for a safe place for a short time.
Read More: How you can help a young refugee
Young people who have been living in a residential children’s home might also be given the opportunity to experience family life before moving into independence.
short term care during parent ill-health
For small families, where the parent is the only caregiver, short term foster care may be offered while they are receiving treatment or in hospital.
other specialist types of short term foster term care
Parent and child fostering would also be considered short-term , as this usually lasts about 12 weeks.
Read More: What Is Parent And Child Fostering?
For young people who find their way into the criminal justice system, remand fostering provides a safe and nurturing alternative to being placed in custody. This could be anywhere from a few days to a couple of months, while young people who have committed an offence are awaiting sentencing.
why is short term fostering so important?
Children who need short term foster care are often going through a difficult time, and fostering can be their safety net, offering stability and comfort.
is short term fostering right for you?
Short-term foster care is a type of fostering well suited to people who want to help and know they can give their love and full commitment to a child for the next couple of years.
Short term doesn’t necessarily mean that the relationship with the child ends there. Many short term foster carers keep in touch with the children they’ve cared for.
Find out more: who can foster?
what short term foster care support is available?
If you decide to offer short-term fostering, you won’t be on the journey alone. From the very start of the process, you’ll get ongoing training and support from a dedicated social worker and the fostering community around you. At Foster Wales, we’re with you every step of the way.
short term fostering pay
Just like any other type of fostering, short term foster care responsibilities come with an allowance to help you look after the foster children in your care.
Learn more: fostering allowance and training
short term fostering with foster wales
Feeling ready to provide a child with a safe and supportive environment until they’re ready to transition into their future? Contact your local authority to discuss becoming a short term foster carer.
