Types of fostering
Short term fostering could mean caring for a child full-time for a few days, weeks or even up to 2 years or more. During this time, we encourage children to stay in contact with their family.
Short breaks are where care is provided at weekends and during the school holidays. This is often to allow carers to have a break. Short break care is often known as respite care.
'Permanence’, or long-term foster care, is where a child needs a family until they reach adulthood. This type of fostering is usually for children older than 7 years old.
It is not just young children who need foster care. Fostering Plus involves looking after young people, aged 12–17 years old, and can be a very rewarding way of helping children and young people.
Our special placement scheme provides therapeutic care to children from seven years on, emergency care is generally very short term care and parent and baby placements involve family-based care for both a parent and baby.
