Fostering is a very different experience to adoption, but one that is equally as important in a child’s life.
Short-Term Fostering
Sometimes a child will be placed under foster care for a short period of time only, before returning to their own families. This may be necessary whilst the local authority makes a plan, or whilst issues within the own child’s family are resolved. The foster period is a transition period for the child, in which the carer will play a crucial role in preparing them for the future.
Short-term foster care may be for a period of days or weeks. There are several reasons why a child may require short-term foster care. There may have been the sudden death of a parent, signs of abuse, or ongoing court proceedings. These periods are hugely unsettling for a child, who may be feeling lost, uncertain, or sad about their future. Even during a short period of time, there is the potential for carers to make a huge impact upon a child’s life, with safely, security, and love.
Short-term foster carers need the necessary skills and emotional resilience to be able to navigate a child safely through potentially turbulent times. An ideal short-term foster carer is someone who can create strong, meaningful, and caring bonds fast, who is able to build up trust and an emotional safety net for the child quickly. Children in short-term foster care can be from all walks of life, so there is a need for a carer who can accommodate and respect diversity.
Long-Term Fostering
Long-Term foster care is often considered a permanent arrangement, with the likelihood being that a child will not return to their own family, although they may still have contact. These children will usually stay resident with their foster carer for a minimum of 2 years, and potentially up until their 18th Birthday, at which point they are considered an adult and can live independently.
Being a long-term foster carer involves having all of the obligations of a loving parent, without the legal parental responsibility. As you would with your own child, you need to be able to manage a child’s education, medical needs, and social interactions. You are also required to facilitate any contact agreed with the child’s birth family.
Before signing up to be a long-term foster carer, you must carefully consider the impact that it will have on your own life, in terms of career, home, and existing family. Long-term fostering is a huge commitment, where an often long-lasting relationship is built up, requiring perseverance over a prolonged period.
Our friendly agency is here is guide you through every step of the process, with a huge network of partnerships and agencies that are here to help and guide you on your journey. We can help you to decide which means of fostering best works for your home, lifestyle, and life goals.
If you would like to find out more about fostering with Ascent call us on 020 757 0070 or click here to arrange a call back.