There are a lot of reasons why families are not able to look after their children.
Many of these reasons will only apply for a short time. In other cases, children might need to be fostered for much longer.
We need carers for children aged 0-18. The type of care depends on what support a child needs but foster carers can offer one or more of:
A child becomes part of your family until he or she can either go back to their birth family or move on to a new permanent family. A child can be with you for days, weeks or months, sometimes longer depending on the circumstances. Support will be given to you and your family around working with a child, their birth family and saying goodbye to a child you have become close to.
Some children need foster carers to support them into adulthood; a child will become a permanent part of your family whilst you continue to receive training and support from the fostering service.
Crisis can happen in families and children sometimes require a safe home for a short period of time whilst circumstances are explored in detail. This emergency care ensures a child is safe and supported until a plan is developed and will be for only a few nights. Emergency carers will be asked for their availability on a monthly basis so that we know when you can be contacted about a child.
This is where children with disabilities, medical or additional needs enjoy one or two nights a month with another family. This supports the young person and their parents/carers.
If you are unable to offer care on a full time basis, you may still be able to offer support and make a difference to a child’s life. This could be on a regular basis such as an overnight or weekend each month, or during school holidays to offer a helping hand to a family.