Types of fostering
We can help you can find the type of fostering that best fits your family, experience, preference and individual circumstances.
Short break carers
Our short break carers offer support during weekends and holidays or longer if required. They are flexible and responsive and can build relationships with children and their parents or carers to provide regular breaks for children where this is deemed appropriate.
Interim carers
Our interim carers provide a family home for children when they first come into foster care. Interim care can last up to 24 months. During this time social workers will be working with birth parents to see if children can return home safely. If this is not possible, they will help children move on to extended family, permanent or adoptive carers.
Intensive Support Service Carers
Intensive Support Service Carers (ISS) carers provide an intensive level of care and support to some of our most challenging young people 24/7. This can include those who:
- have previously been in residential care
- are involved with youth justice
- are out of education and those with a high level of need
This requires a carer who is at home on a full-time basis.
ISS carers need to have experience of working with children who have experienced trauma and be able to offer one-to-one support to children and young people with no other birth children under the age of 18 living at home.
Permanent carers
Our permanent carers provide a home for children into their adulthood whether this be up to age 21 or beyond. This is needed when children are unable to return to the care of their parents or extended family.
An important aspect for our permanent carers is their ability to maintain a child's identity by supporting relationships with their birth family and people who are important to them.