Short term fostering means providing a child or young person with a place to stay until they can return to their own family, or until it becomes evident that they need a more permanent foster placement or possibly adoptive parents.
There are various reasons why children might need to be in short term fostering:
- awaiting a more permanent home
- undergoing court proceedings (this is called remand fostering)
- undergoing assessments, where the child’s social worker carries out an assessment and determine a care plan for the child
- family breakdown or parental illness
- neglect, abuse or child protection issues
During a short term placement, foster carers need to be able to provide a safe and secure environment for children to carry on their day to day life, continuing to attend school and see their friends and family wherever possible.
As a short term foster carer: you will be able to support a child through a difficult transitional period in their lives or help them rebuild a broken relationship with their own parents after a family crisis or domestic issues.
This type of placement requires you to be available to respond to urgent or short notice requirements for a placement.
Interested? Then we’d love to hear from you.
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Fostering journey
We understand the decision to foster is a huge step and we'll provide you with support every step of the way. Find out more about the journey to fostering.
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Fostering FAQs
Potential foster carers often have a number of questions about who can foster and what to expect, so we've busted some myths about the requirements of fostering with us.
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Become a foster carer
The first step towards joining the Barnardo's family is getting in touch. Complete our online form or find details about alternative contact methods here.