Types of Fostering
What placement options are available?
Have a fostering question?
A Full Range of Foster Placements
As a foster carer, there are a range of placement types that you can choose to be available for. These include short-term, long-term, parent and child, emergency and respite placements. It is a good idea to learn about what is involved with each kind of placement and during your assessment discuss your choices with the Social Worker undertaking your assessment, they will help you understand and choose what will suit your family. You will be approved for all types of fostering placements so that you can progress you career as a foster carer as you gain more experience.
All our foster carers benefit from comprehensive training, both pre and post approval, Swiis are committed to ensure that our foster carers develop professionally. Once you have been approved as a carer, the Placement Team will work closely with you to understand your requirements and the skills that you have so that they can find the right placement match for you.
Click the tabs below to view more information on that type of placement.
Short-term / Task centred placements
If you take on a short-term foster placement, you will be helping to prepare that child for their return home or their move to a new family if long term fostering is needed.
These crucial foster placements involve working towards specific goals. These may include assessment placements and bridging and preparation for adoption which meet other specific care plan objectives.
Carers usually look after these children for a few weeks or months while plans are made for the child’s next steps.
If you would like to know more about short-term placements, please get in touch with us below.
Longer term placements
When a child can’t return to their birth family and adoption isn’t the right route for them at that time, long-term foster placements are needed. ‘Long-term foster care’ is not just about the length of time you would look after a child, but refers to the care plan and the type of care which will be best for that child.
Becoming a long-term foster carer offers the child in your care stability, which is extremely comforting to a child who has probably never experienced a sense of being settled.
A long-term placement means the child can grow to feel like part of the family and trust that somebody is looking out for them. Being a long-term foster carer can be an extremely rewarding job.
If you would like to know more about long-term placements, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
Sibling Placements
Keeping families together is extremely important to Swiis. We know first-hand the difference it makes for brothers and sisters to stay together when going through the placement process. Often a sibling is the only other person a child in care feels they can trust in life and are likely to have gone through a lot together. Understandably, it is much easier for a child to re-adjust to a new home if they don’t feel alone, and instead have that unique support only a family member can give.
If you can provide the right space, skills and energy to meet the demands of a sibling placement then please get in touch. There is a huge demand for sibling placement foster carers.
Parent and Child
Could you help a young vulnerable person to develop their parenting skills ? By taking on a parent and child placement you will play a vital role in helping a young family manage to stay together. As the placement progresses, you will monitor the parent and assess their development.
A parent and child foster placement will allow you to share your skills and experience with vulnerable young parents, supporting them through their child’s early days, weeks or months. It is an extremely rewarding role.
For more information about parent and child fostering, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Children with Disabilities
Children needing foster care include those with medical conditions or physical or learning disabilities, such as autism, hyperactivity, attention deficits, or reading difficulties. These placements are offered on full time or respite bases. Don’t worry if you are unsure whether you have the skills to meet this need, our team will assess you and offer additional training if necessary.
This form of care does need more attention and the ability to manage special medication or care routines. In some cases you may need to have a downstairs bedroom and bathroom.
If you choose to offer a disabled child a home, whether on a full-time of respite bases, you will be making a big difference to a child’s life.
If you would like any more information about the different types of fostering, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Unplanned, Short Notice or Emergency Care
An emergency foster placement is needed when a child needs a home urgently. It may be for a night, a week or even longer. Due to the nature of this placement type, the call could come at night, weekend or other unexpected times. There are many different circumstances where a child might need a home urgently, such as if a parent is taken into hospital and there is no one else to care for them, or if there is a child protection issue within the family.
We know that each placement brings its own unique opportunities and we take great care to develop structured programmes to support our carers and children at every step of the journey.
Respite
A respite or ‘short-break’ placement is available to support a child’s current placement, providing relief for foster or birth families. Respite could be for one night or one week and often occurs during school holidays or at weekends.
Respite care is flexible, so you can control your level of commitment. Foster carers who start their fostering specialising in respite care, often decide to become full time foster carers.
If you would like to know more about respite foster care, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
Start Your Fostering Journey
With thousands of children coming into foster care in the UK everyday, we urgently need foster carers more than ever.
Refer a Friend
Do you know anyone who would be a fantastic foster carer who has the skills and compassion to support a child or young person in need of a loving home?
