Short term fostering

When a child or young person needs placement in a foster family on a temporary basis, short term fostering is often the solution. Short term fostering involves providing a young person or child with a safe and comfortable home on a temporary basis.

Sometimes, short term fostering provides places for children to stay until a time when they can rejoin their family, or before it becomes clear that they require a permanent foster placement with a continuous carer – or, in some cases, adoptive parents.

There are many reasons why a child may require short term foster care, but the most common reasons are that they are unable to return to their family or are awaiting placement in a more permanent foster family or with adoptive parents.

What is short term fostering?

Providing short term foster care involves providing a stable, safe and nurturing environment in your home to a child or young person for a limited time. This type of foster care placement typically requires carers to be able to respond to short notice or urgent requirements.

Why do young people and children need short term fostering?

There are many different circumstances when children and young people might need the support that short term fostering offers. Reasons for children to need short term fostering include when they are waiting for placement in a permanent home or need somewhere to live during ongoing court proceedings.

Short term fostering is also required when a child’s social worker is conducting an assessment to form a care plan, when a family breaks down or a parent falls ill and can’t care for the child. Child protection issues, neglect and abuse are other reasons.

The benefits of short term fostering

As a short term carer, you will provide children and young people with vital support at a time that is often traumatic and transitional in their lives. In many cases, you will be delivering help in emergencies when it is needed most.

How long is short term fostering?

The length of short term fostering can vary greatly. It may consist of a single night or may also continue for a few weeks, many months, and in some instances, several years, depending on different circumstances. For instance, an emergency placement is usually the shortest and may only be for hours, but a typical placement ranges from days to weeks. Longer placements have been known that last for months and, in some cases, years.

The major deciding factor regards the personal circumstances of the foster child and their family situation. After fostering, the children and young people in short term foster care may return to their family, be placed in more permanent care or become adopted.

Pay for short term fostering

While the government recommends rates of pay for those providing long and short term foster care, independent agencies adjust the income their carers receive.

We believe strongly that regardless of the time children are looked after, foster carers should receive a generous income for the important service they provide. How much you will earn as a short term foster parent will vary according to the length of the placement, the needs of the child and your experience.

The role of short term foster carers

During short term fostering, carers must supply a secure and safe environment that lets children feel comfortable to carry on with daily life. This includes continuing attendance at school and being allowed to see their family members and friends when possible.

Being a short term foster carer is a challenging yet rewarding role where you will support a young person or child through tough transitional periods, and help them to rebuild relationships with their parents following domestic issues or a family crisis. When you choose to foster through Beacon Fostering, you will always have full support from our experienced agency and like-minded fostering community.

Are you interested in short term fostering in the northwest?

As a leading fostering agency for the region, at Beacon Fostering, we offer both long term fostering and short term fostering options.

Whether you are completely new to fostering, have carried out research and become interested in being a carer or have experience at another agency and wish to transfer, connect with our team to find out more about the different types of fostering.