If you’re interested in fostering, you might be interested to know that there are various different types of fostering available, making this rewarding option accessible to more people who would happily welcome a child or young person into their home. Let’s look at how you can be a foster carer for the occasional night, or for many years, depending on the situation and what you can offer.
Emergency foster care
Foster care in Cardiff might include emergency foster care, which is where the child simply needs a safe place to stay in a welcoming home for one or two nights. This could be for any kind of emergency situation, when they are unable to stay at their usual home.
Respite foster care
Some foster parents take children for respite care purposes when the parents need a short break to recharge. This might be because the child has special or behavioural needs, because a sibling has a serious illness, or because the parents need a little extra support in some way.
Long-term fostering
Some families become long-term foster carers to children who stay with them for many years, even until they are adults and able to move into independent living. This can occur when the child cannot live with their birth family, although visits may continue to maintain these important bonds.
Parent and child fostering
In this arrangement, foster care Cardiff involves the foster carer taking in a parent and child. This will often be a young parent who needs extra support to care for their baby or child. The foster carer can provide a safe, supervised and supportive environment to help both thrive.
Remand fostering
This can be offered to children who are waiting to go to court, and provide a better and safer accommodation for them during this challenging process.
Other types of fostering exist too, such as supported lodgings and trafficked children fostering. The first step is to contact your local fostering service to find out more and register your interest in this challenging, rewarding and vital role.