Placement types

Children 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.

Emergency foster care placements

Sometimes, we need to find a safe place for a child to stay immediately. Emergency placements usually last for a few nights, to a few weeks.

Short-term foster care placements

If there are problems at home, a child or young person may need to stay with a foster family for a few months until the issues are resolved or alternative plans are made for their future.

Long-term foster care placements

It isn’t always possible for children to be reunited with their family. In these cases, they’ll need to stay with you until they grow and are able to live independently. (Usually around 18 years old.)

Sibling placements

We try to keep brothers and sisters together when finding foster families for siblings. This type of placement involves groups of two or more children.