Short-Term Fostering
Provide a safe and loving home for a child for anywhere from a few days, up until 2 years.
What is Short-Term Fostering?
Short-term fostering is a type of fostering placement in which a foster carer provides a safe and loving home for a child for anywhere from a few days, up until 2 years.
By taking on a short-term foster placement, you may be helping to prepare that child or young person for their return home or move to a new family if long-term fostering is needed.
Other reasons for a short-term foster placement, include the child waiting to move onto a possible assessment placement, a bridging placement or a placement where they are being prepared for potential adoption, all which requires specific care plan objectives.
Short-term fostering placements are crucial and can involve working towards specific goals for the child or young person’s future.
How Long is a Short-Term Fostering Placement?
A short-term fostering placement can last anywhere from a few days, to weeks, months or even up to two years. During this time, arrangements will be made for the child to either return to their family or be placed with longer-term foster carers, a specialist placement (or possible adopters).
Why are Short-Term Foster Placements Needed?
Children in need of short-term foster care usually have families who cannot look after them for a short amount of time.
The reasons for a child to be placed into short-term foster care can vary but can include their parents or guardians being unwell, families going through care proceedings or providing a family respite if the child has disabilities or complex needs.
How do Short-Term Foster Placements Differ from Other Placement Types?
With short-term placements, children may only spend a single night with their foster carer before returning to their family or to a longer-term placement.
Short-term placements can also be emergency placements in which a child or young person is in need of a home with little advanced warning.
Pay and Allowance for Short-Term Fostering
Swiis foster carers receive a competitive weekly allowance, directly deposited into their bank accounts. Foster carers at Swiis Foster Care are paid well because we acknowledge the tremendous contribution they make to the lives of children and young people.
Swiis allowances depend on the type of placement, the number of children being looked after and the child’s needs.
Swiis’s Welcome Support Payment
Swiis also offers a Welcome Support payment of £1,000 to all newly approved foster carers, including those who start with a short-term placement. The purpose of our Welcome Support payment is to make sure you have everything you need to start your journey with Swiis.
£520/week for one child
£847/week for one enhanced child
£833/week for two siblings
£1,006/week for two unrelated children
£845/week for a parent and child
Please note the above pay and allowances are an indication of the weekly payments made for each placement type. All fees vary as each placement is assessed on an individual basis and can differ by region.
Fostering Allowances are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change, talk to a member of the Swiis team to discuss how the finances could work for you. For current tax free allowances, please see the Gov.uk website.
To learn more about the financial support Swiis provides, visit our page on allowances and pay
What are the Benefits of Short-Term Fostering?
By becoming a foster carer, you will be providing a child with a safe and loving home at a time in their life when they need it most.
The difference you will make within this short time can make a significant impact on a child or young person’s life, helping them to grow and develop in a safe environment.
Fostering a child is not only an emotionally rewarding experience but is also a financially secure career choice with excellent pay and generous tax relief.
How do I Become a Foster Carer?
The first step to becoming a foster carer is to complete the enquiry form on our website.
Once this is received, a member of our fostering recruitment team will be in contact with you to arrange a suitable time to undergo a telephone interview. This is for us to understand more about you and your family, why you are interested in fostering and to explain the basic criteria for becoming a foster carer.
Requirements to Become a Foster Carer
In order to become a foster carer, you will need to ensure that you have a spare bedroom in your house, are over the age of 21, and that you are medically fit to work.
But, by far the most important credential is your ability to listen, understand, and provide children and young people with a caring, stable environment.
This includes being enthusiastic with a positive attitude, respect for a child or young person’s individuality and diversity, and willingness to learn.
Once you fill out an enquiry form with us, a member of our recruitment team will contact you about your interest and take you through the requirements in more detail.
Who can Become a Foster Carer?
Swiis welcomes carers from a variety of backgrounds including single people, couples (married and unmarried), same-sex couples, homeowners and non-homeowners, employed, self-employed or unemployed, parents and non-parents, and people over the age of 65.
Find out if you can become a foster carer by answering a few quick questions
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?
