When a child cannot live at home or with family, they can become a child who is cared for by the local authority. Foster care provides stability, safety and a nurturing environment when this happens. Fostering families welcome children into their homes and give them space and support to flourish and share family life.
Foster carers share their homes with children and look after them on a day day-to-day basis. They make meals, provide basic care and routines, and take children to school, nursery or other education or training arrangements.
As well as maintaining routines, foster carers make sure the children they look after can play, relax, and develop whilst offering them a healthy lifestyle. Foster carers also work to build trusting relationships with the children they look after, many of whom need care, help, love, time to trust, and patience.
It is for this reason that all our foster carers go through a thorough application process and are approved to become foster carers.
What a foster carer does
Foster carers share their home and look after a child or children. They play a vital part of a professional team that provides a loving family environment for children.
Being a nurturing caregiver and building trusting relationships are fundamentals of the role. On a day-to-day basis, foster carers:
- make meals
- drop off and pick up children from school
- communicate with nursery, school and other educational organisations to support learning
- maintain the home and involve children and young people in family life
- spend leisure time together, making sure children have the opportunity to play, relax and lead a healthy lifestyle
- take children and young people to appointments and activities
- co-ordinate with other professionals to provide the best care for the child
Foster carers are role models for those they look after, offering help, love and patience to children who often need time to trust.
Why children need foster care
Children don't always need long-term foster care. In fact, most looked after children come into care on a short-term basis. Sometimes their circumstances may lead to a need for longer-term fostering. Every child or young person's situation is different.
Foster care provides support and care for children when they can't live at home due to:
- family emergencies, such as poor mental or physical health
- a bereavement
- parents struggling with alcohol or substance misuse, who need time to overcome these challenges
- risk of harm from abuse, neglect or domestic violence in the home
Foster carers also provide short breaks or respite care for children with disabilities and complex needs or for other foster carers.
Get in touch
Our team of fostering experts are always on hand to help. Speak to our fostering hub co-ordinators to find out more about what fostering is, and why children need foster care.