Become a foster carer
Discover more about fostering, how you can help and what to do next.
Read moreChildren and young people need fostering for lots of different reasons. That’s why we offer a range of different placement types – so we can match each child with the foster family that has the skills and characteristics to meet their needs.
Even if you have a preference for the type of foster placement you take on, please try and be as flexible as you can. Being happy to accept more than one type of foster care placement helps us find safe, supportive homes for children and young people more quickly.
Sometimes, we need to find a safe place for a child to stay immediately. Emergency placements usually last from a few nights to six weeks.
If there are problems at home, a child or young person may need to stay with a foster family. This is usually for a few months or up to two years. This type of placement is focused on helping a foster child return home. You’ll be working closely with the child and their family to help the restoration go smoothly.
It isn’t always possible for foster children to be reunited with their birth families. In these cases, they’ll need to stay with you until they’re grownup and able to live independently. (Usually around 18 years old.) A permanent placement refers to long term fostering, kinship care, guardianship and open adoption.
When it is identified by the court or in the child’s case plan that a child’s best interest is a permanent placement through open adoption then a carer can apply to adopt. An Adoption order will require an additional assessment and court work. Adoptive Parents are responsible for arranging, supporting and supervising contact.
Usually, this involves looking after children whose carers need some time off.
We try to keep brothers and sisters together when finding foster families. This type of placement involves groups of two or more children. We need foster carers for emergency, short-term/restoration, respite and permanent placements to care for siblings.
Sometimes, a parent or young pregnant mother might need extra help looking after their child. With this type of placement, both the parent and their child or children will live with you.