Short term fostering
When a child needs support for a relatively short period of time, which could be either days or months, they will be placed with a short term foster carer. This is usually an interim arrangement until they can return to their birth family or a suitable long term placement, such as adoption is made.
Long term fostering
Sometimes it can be months or years before a child can return to their birth family and in some cases they may never be able to do so. We therefore need foster carers who can provide safety and stability to children on a long term basis. Long term fostering can seem very similar to adoption, but there are some important differences:
- Unlike adoption, a child in care with you on a long term foster placement will remain the legal responsibility of the local authority. With adoption, the legal rights of a child are transferred to their adoptive parents.
- When adopting a child, you do not receive an allowance, but with long term fostering, you continue to receive your fostering allowance for the entirety of the placement.
- Even though a child may not be able to live with their parents, they may not want to be adopted or it may not be possible to do so. In these cases, long-term fostering is the answer.
Permanent Fostering
This is caring for a child or young person for the rest of their childhood. Permanent foster carers support children and young people and are an important part of their family as they mature into adulthood. Most of the children and young people who need permanent fostering will be aged seven years and above. Carers are usually asked to take children permanently when they have been living with them for over a year.
Key Skills Needed
- Be both adaptable and flexible;
- the strength to persevere;
- good communication skills;
- good listening skills;
- a stable family and home life;
- the willingness to works as a team player – able to cooperate with a child’s birth parents as well as social workers;
- the ability to set boundaries;
- the commitment to support a child and their identity – religion, culture and language;
- a sense of empathy.
- A sense of self reflection