Types of fostering

When children and young people cannot stay with their family, foster carers look after them until they can return home.

Each situation is different and there are different types of fostering to fill the needs of the children and young people. During the application process a social worker will discuss with you and your family what type of fostering would work for you. The different types are explained below:

Emergency fostering: As the name suggests, emergency fostering provides a safe place for a child for one or two nights on short notice when there is an unexpected event.

Remand fostering: When a young person is waiting for their case to return to court, they will sometimes stay with foster carers. These placements are short term.

Intensive Fostering: As a direct alternative to a custodial sentence, Intensive Fostering is a highly effective programme which helps turn around the lives of vulnerable young people and their families.

Youth justice: A child or young person is sometimes placed with a foster carer when they are at risk of being placed in secure accommodation or custody and need emotional behavioural support to help them examine and change their offending behaviour. These placements are short term.

Permanent/long-term fostering: When a child or young person's home situation is not likely to change quickly, they may need to stay with a foster carer for months or years. They may stay with foster carers until they are ready and able to live independently.

Parent and child placements: When a young parent (or parents) require support and guidance in learning to care for their babies and young children. You will also be assessing their parenting ability and working alongside a team of other professionals.

Specialist placements: Working with professionals, you will work with young people who will have experienced early neglect, abuse or trauma as well as placement breakdowns or many moves.

Short-term and time-limited fostering: Sometimes we are asked to provide these placements to meet a specific need of a child coming into care, such as parental illness.

Planned break fostering: Planned break foster carers offer vital support to full-time carers, providing much-needed cover for holidays, weekends, day-care or babysitting. This gives full-time carers the chance to recharge their batteries and enables children to meet new people and have new experiences. It is also an opportunity for people considering fostering to get hands-on experience before committing fully.

Short breaks: Disabled children and their families sometimes need a break from each other, because of the intense challenges of their care. Shorts breaks may be for a few hours, an overnight stay once a week, or even for several weeks during school holidays. Find out more about short breaks.

Contact us

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For a free information pack or more information on fostering our simple, online contact form., call 0845 200 5162 or read our fostering report.