Why foster?

Short term fostering placements are for children and young people who require temporary care. Often this is because their families are unable to look after them during a particular time. This could be because their parents are unwell or unable to cope at that time. Alternatively the family may be going through care proceedings – so a child might go into foster care in the short term while decisions are being made about who will look after them in the future.

The length of a short term fostering placement can vary significantly, depending on the individual circumstances of the child. The placements could be as short as an emergency overnight stay, a few weeks or as long as a number of months up to two years.

Compared to other kinds of fostering placements short term carers often have higher levels of contact with the children’s birth family whilst assessments are underway, and can also be involved in introducing children to their new adoptive families. Part of your role will be to support the child to move on.

Long term foster placements give children an opportunity to live in a stable foster placement with a committed carer until they reach adulthood. Long term fostering gives children a sense of consistency and belonging, helping them to developing positive new relationships and build links within their local community.

Long term foster carers offer the permanent one-to-one support and care that these young people need to thrive. This type of care is a long term commitment and you need to be willing to stick by them through the good and bad times until adulthood. You really could make a difference to their future.

You need to embrace them as another member of your family while recognising that they still have a relationship with their birth family. Long term fostering can appear to be very similar to adoption however unlike adoption a child in care with you on a long term foster placement will remain the legal responsibility of the local authority. With adoption, the legal responsibilities for the child are transferred to their adoptive parents.

Foster Portsmouth’s supportive lodgings scheme pays people to provide accommodation and a minimum of 10 hours a week support for a young person aged 21 and over taking their first steps into independence. Many of these young people will have previously been placed in foster homes or in residential children’s homes, or they may be an unaccompanied minor or are homeless.

We are looking for individuals, couples or families who understand the issues facing young people today and who are able to offer support in order to help them to develop their independent living skills such as cooking or budgeting. People who can encourage them to develop friendships and maintain contact with family, whilst helping them with applications or to actively seek education, training or employment. As these young people have a degree of independence, this placement option can fit in well with carers who have work commitments or work full-time.

Could you be a young person’s inspiration and mentor to help them get off on the right start to a successful independent life?

A parent and child placement is a specialist foster placement involving a foster carer providing care to babies and young children alongside one or both parents. These arrangements are usually short term offering support and advice so that parents can care for their own child, they could also include parenting assessments and court proceedings.

These placements are intensive and foster carers doing this work need good communication skills and the confidence to monitor and assess parenting potential.

Our Family Link carers provide regular short breaks for children with complex needs, such as a disability or medical condition. This gives the child’s parents a chance to have a regular break, whilst giving the child opportunities to meet new people and do different things.

You will need to have a genuine interest in providing short term care for a child with disabilities, within your home. These placements can last from a few hours up to a weekend.