There are different types of fostering and this means changing lives for the better

Short-term fostering

Short term fostering is for children of all ages who can require fostering for anything from a couple of days up to two years. Whilst the child is with you they may keep in regular contact with their birth parents.

 

Connected care

This could be a short-term or long-term arrangement with a person who is a family member (whether by birth or marriage/civil partnership), friend of, or other person who is known to, the child or their family.  They can be child minders, teachers, youth workers or others working in a professional capacity with the child.  See our Connected Carers Information Pack for further details.

 

Long-term fostering

Long term fostering offers children, normally over the age of 10, the care and security of a family for as long as needed until they are ready to lead their own independent lives. As with short-term fostering, the child will continue to keep in touch with their own families. We also offer our placements the opportunity to ‘stay put’ which is a scheme whereby our placement stays with their foster carer up to the age of 25, providing that is what both parties wish to do.

 

Respite fostering

Respite fostering for BCP Council is a kind of part-time care which could be every weekend or once a month. Usually the child will already have full-time foster carers. This is a very flexible form of fostering that can be arranged to fit in with other commitments fairly easily.

 

Emergency

This type of fostering is unplanned and used at short notice, for example, if a lone parent is taken into hospital and there is no one to care for their child. Emergency foster carers will need to be prepared to take a child into their home at any time of the night or day and have them stay for a few days. Longer-term plans must then be considered.

 

Parent and child

Parent and child placements are a specialist type of fostering where a young parent, usually a parent and child, comes to stay with you.This enables a parent and child to be placed together where there are concerns about the parent’s ability to care safely for the child or where a parent might need a high level of parenting support and guidance. Your role will be to both help and mentor the parent; and also assist on a practical level with the baby. 

 

Resilience Fostering

Resilience fostering is another one of our specialist schemes. Resilience foster carers are carers who provide long-term family-based placements to children aged between 10-18 years old who have more complex needs. These placements require a higher than usual level of support as they may be difficult to place as they are either vulnerable or have complex behaviour. Foster carers who provide these short and long-term placements are provided with generous payments to recognise their skill level. In addition, there is also a team of specialist support to assist them including educational specialists and psychologists.

 

If you think this could be you, you can download our brochure; call us on 0800 009 3084 or fill in our online form and we will contact you.

 

We also have other schemes like supported accommodation and shared care which still require commitment, but enable you to work full time.  Please visit our sections to find out more or fill in our online form.