Short Term Fostering
Short term fostering is for children or young people who need to be looked after until they can return home to their own family, OR move into long term fostering. In some cases the children may be short term fostered prior to being adopted.
As a short term Foster Carer you would be looking after a child or young person on a full-time basis during the time that they are placed with you.
Decisions about a child in short term foster care are made by the Local Authority. As you are the primary carer for the child in the short term, the information you can provide to the child’s social worker will be very helpful to their decision making. You are likely to have a special insight into the needs of the child or young person that has lived with you.
How long is "short term" fostering?
Typically this type of fostering provides support to children for a short period of time. However, each child and circumstance is different.
There is no set time period. In reality a short term fostering placement can range from a few weeks to a year or more!
Whilst a child is in short term foster care, the Care Plan for that young person is uncertain and is still being assessed.
The Local Authority will need to make decisions about whether the child can be returned to the care of their birth family and what the time frame for that move might be. Or the Local Authority might determine that the best option is to consider long term foster care for that child and their circumstances.
Find out more about what our foster carers have to say
Valuable lessons gained from children
"I’ve really enjoyed every moment of fostering over the last year or so. I’ve learned and found new understandings of other cultures and faiths. The implications for me are that there are always interesting and valuable lessons to be gained from all of our children".
Understand and accept child behaviours
"We've had the best experience over the last 8 months with our foster child that any foster carer could ask for. The major learning point for us was to understand and accept the behaviours that came with the child, this was by no way easy and without all the support and training from FCC we think we would not have managed as well."
Other Types of Fostering
Could you foster? We'd love to have a chat and help you with your fostering journey!