Long term fostering

Studies have shown that young people who grow up in a stable and secure family home are much more likely to thrive and reach their potential than those who have moved to many different foster homes.

While there is little or no chance that a young person will ever return to their birth family home, a long term fostering arrangement would, by far, be the best possible outcome for them. With the current shortage of long term foster carers in the UK, this is not always possible.

Young people who are welcomed into a long term foster home are much more able to build healthy relationships and attachments with both their foster family and friendship groups. Feeling settled creates a sense of permanency and routine with much less disruption.

This facilitates a much better learning environment for them to succeed and feel settled at school. Research also shows an achievement gap between cared for young people and their peers. Greater educational success has been linked to better long term outcomes. This makes raising educational achievements among cared for young people extremely important if future negative life experiences are to be turned around.

Currently, only around 13% of cared for young people are in higher education by the time they reach their 19th birthday, compared with 45% of the wider population. Living in a long term, stable and loving home could help to reduce this gap.

For the foster family, long term fostering gives them long term input creating a lasting impact on their young person. The foster family will be able to witness the change that their love, nurture and care has had on the young person, helping them to thrive and reach their potential. This can be hugely rewarding and life enhancing.

If you choose to be a long term foster carer, Action for Children Fostering will be with you all the way, supporting you emotionally, financially and with regular training. We offer 24/7, year-round support with a dedicated, qualified social worker.

Many of our foster carers give their young person a long term home into adulthood, until they’re ready to live on their own. Offering a young person a home after they reach the age of 18 may enable them to continue their education through college or university.

This is what we call "continuing care", “staying put” or "when I'm ready".

It makes them feel like they really are part of your family and gives them the foundations they need to thrive.