“My wife and I have been fostering for years, from young children to teenagers. We’ve found it so rewarding.”
Fostering choices available
There are a number of different fostering schemes, reflecting the variety of backgrounds and needs of individual children.
Whatever your situation, there will be a scheme to match the type of help that you can offer.
Short-term fostering, called ‘link carers’
As a link carer you will look after children whose long-term future is uncertain. Children usually return to their own families, but can need an alternative home for either a night or a few years, while social workers and sometimes the courts decide if they can return home. If a child cannot live with their own family, link carers provide a valuable bridge to a child either moving to a long-term placement or an adoptive family. For older children or teenagers they may need a short placement to give both them and their family breathing space.
Long-term/Permanent fostering
If it has been decided that a child cannot return home, your role as a long-term foster carer is to be a substitute family for the rest of their childhood. Usually it is children aged from six years upwards who need long-term foster families. Many will want to keep in touch with members of their family and wherever possible we try to keep brothers and sisters together.
Respite care
Respite carers provide temporary breaks to existing carers by looking after their children for one or two weekends a month or for a short holiday break. We are happy to talk about what you feel you can offer. You will still need to be approved and have a spare bedroom.
Specialist Scheme
There are some children and young people, usually aged 10-16, who may have experienced several placements and who present more challenging behaviour. Carers require more specialist skills if they are to be able to offer the children the help they need and be able to stick with them through some difficult times or have an interest in protecting the young people from sexual exploitation. They need to be the only foster child in placement.
Specialist carers are people from a variety of backgrounds and who have experience caring for children and young people who display challenging behaviour. This scheme pays a higher fee as well as offering additional support and training, as the needs of these young people are more complex.
Children with Disabilities
Children of all ages with disabilities and complex health needs who require temporary or permanent placements.
Short Break Fostering Schemes
You may want to offer care to child or family who are in need but you are not able to do so on a full time basis. Three schemes in Bradford provide a very valuable service to children and young people, but the people providing the help only do so on a part time basis. This could be once a week or once a month. The schemes are different so would cover most peoples special interests and skills.
Shared Care offers short breaks to children with either a learning or physical disability or with complex health needs. This gives the children the opportunity to meet new people and see new places whilst giving their parent the opportunity to have a break. Follow the related link below to find out more.
Support Care offers short breaks to children to help prevent them coming into care on a full time basis. This might be giving young people experiences they cannot get at home, offering a role model they may not have , introducing them to new activities or giving a break to a parent to recharge their batteries. Follow the related link below to find out more.
Crisis Care offers a short period of care to young people with nowhere else to stay. These might be children who have run away or left home after some dispute. It's vital they have somewhere safe to stay until they can return home or find something permanent. Crisis carers offer emergency care overnight or over the weekend. It can be the difference between a child going quickly back home or going missing for weeks along with all the dangers that entails. Follow the related link below for more information.
Whichever fostering scheme you choose, all involve working as part of a team, with the child’s social worker, your own Adoption & Fostering Unit social worker and other people who will help to meet the child’s needs.
