When you become a foster carer, there are many different types of fostering you can experience during your journey. However, one of the more common types of foster care is short term foster care, or temporary foster care.
Short term fostering, also known as temporary fostering, provides a child or young person a safe environment on a temporary basis until they can return home to their birth parents or guardians. However, if this option is not available, foster carers will look after the child on a short-term basis until a more permanent fostering solution can be found. This could be long term fostering, or it could even be adoption.
The length of a short term fostering placement is not something which is usually clear – this can last anywhere between a few days or a few weeks, even to a few months. One of the most important attributes about being a short term foster carer is that you are adaptable and available at short notice – as you’ll need to flexible to respond to urgent requirements.
A type of short term fostering is emergency fostering. This refers to when the child needs immediate care and protection, and could have amounted from reasons such as a trauma in the family, a parental illness or abuse and neglect of a young person. As the needs of the child, and the specific circumstance will need to be analysed, it’s often hard to predict how long a child will be in short term care for.
Another type of short term fostering is remand fostering. This refers to when a young person is on remand and, rather than entering into a custody arrangement, they have the option of being placed with a foster carer. Again, the length of remand fostering placement is hard to predict – as it will depend entirely on the duration of the young person’s sentence, and how long they are waiting on remand for.
Respite fostering is a short term foster placement to allow families or foster carers a bit of breathing space. All of FosterCare UK’s foster carers are entitled to a 14-day respite period. Respite foster care can last as short as a weekend or as long as a fortnight – and this can be a sporadic or regular routine for the child in care.
By becoming a foster carer with FosterCare UK, you’ll be in safe hands – our dedicated team are with you every step of the way on your fostering journey. Learn more about the different types of foster care from our detailed guide.
To find out more information about why you should become a foster parent, or get in touch with a member of our friendly team now.
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