Learn about fostering
Learn more about fostering and download our free, comprehensive guide to help get you started.
What is foster care?
Who can foster?
Where can I foster?
What is foster care?
Foster care, or fostering, is the term used to describe an approved foster carer offering a home to a child or young person who can’t live with their own family.
Sometimes a child or young person will stay for a very short time before returning to their family, others may need to live with a foster family for a long time.
Some children and young people may have regular contact with other members of their family, even if they cannot live with them.
Most importantly, fostering is…
- Offering a secure and caring home to a child or young person who cannot live with their own family
- Providing nurture, warmth and support
- Providing a healthy lifestyle
- Encouraging a child or young person to do well at school or college
- Enabling children and young people to learn how to form and maintain good relationships
- Helping children and young people move to a permanent home, possibly adoption
- Helping young people prepare for independence
- Working closely with social workers and other professionals to help them make the right plan for the child or young person
- Celebrating a child or young person’s success and helping them through any difficulties – we like to call it ‘stickability’
- Having fun with children and young people and knowing you are doing something amazing
Types of fostering
There are different types of fostering, depending on the child and their situation. A foster child may stay with you for just a weekend or over a number of years – we work hard to match the child to the right foster carer. Below are some of the ways you could foster.
Short-term fostering
Short-term fostering is when a foster family provides care for a child until the decision is made by the local authority about the child’s long-term care.
These placements can last for days, weeks or months.
Long-term fostering
Long-term placements may be suitable for children or young people for whom adoption is not an option. In this situation, the foster carer cares for a child or young person as a member of their family up to, and into, adult independence.
Emergency / unplanned placements
These placements happen where a child or young person needs somewhere to stay at short notice. This could be for a few nights or longer, depending on the circumstances.
Placements are provided at short notice and our fostering service offers a 24-hour emergency response service to support such requests from placing authorities.
Family group placements
Family group placements are for siblings who are placed together in foster care.
We advocate keeping family groups together within a family environment, unless it is deemed inappropriate by the placing authority. We specialise in caring for family groups and provide additional support to foster carers to assist them in the task.
Short break / respite fostering
Short break – sometimes known as respite – placements are provided to give families a break or offer additional support. Respite fostering could for a child living with their birth family, or it could be for a child and their foster carer.
This type of fostering can be anything from an overnight stay to a couple of weeks.
Who can foster?
Finding the right carers for each child or young person is a priority for us, so the most important thing is that you’re passionate about providing a stable and nurturing home for the young people in your care.
We accept foster carer applications regardless of race, gender, marital or employment status, sexual orientation, whether you have children or whether you rent or own your home.
There are a few ‘must haves’ if you want to become a foster carer…
- You must be aged 21 years or over
- You must have a spare bedroom
- You must be able to drive or be in the process of learning
- You must be happy for us to carry out background checks on you and your family and friends.
Where can I foster?
We’re looking for foster carers in the following areas:
Stockport
Manchester
Preston
Liverpool
Bury
Warrington