Sometimes it's not possible or safe for a child to return to their own family so we will look for a permanent foster family for them if they are aged seven years upwards. Younger children will usually be adopted.
I suppose it's hard to explain why they are special but they are because they took me in when nobody else wanted me.
Young person in foster care
Offering ‘permanence' means you will be including a child as a complete member of your family. You will be caring for them throughout their childhood and helping them gain the skills they need to eventually leave home. They will always be a part of your family.
You won't be on your own, there is always a team of people to help. You will have your own fostering social worker and the child has their own social worker too.
Even though you will be looking after a child permanently they still have their birth family who are important to them. There are usually some arrangements for them to keep in touch – this could be an occasional meeting up or exchange of cards and letters.
Who can offer this sort of care?
You would need to have had experience of looking after children previously, this may be through being parents, foster carers, or adoptive parents. If you then feel you want to offer a permanent home to a child we would try and ‘match' you and your family to the right child or children.
East Sussex County Council