How Does Emergency Foster Care Work?

Emergency foster care provides a safe place for a child or young person to stay when they cannot remain in their current home, and alternative care needs to be arranged urgently.

Unlike a planned fostering placement, an emergency placement may need to be found at very short notice. Foster carers may have limited time to prepare, while the child themselves may be experiencing an unexpected and confusing change in circumstances.

So, how does emergency foster care work?

The exact circumstances will differ for every child, but the process generally involves identifying an immediate need for care, finding an appropriate approved foster carer and providing a safe placement while social workers assess what should happen next.

For prospective carers, understanding this process can help you decide whether providing emergency foster care could be right for you.

If you’re new to the subject, we’d recommend reading our guide to emergency foster care first.

What Is Emergency Foster Care?

Emergency foster care is used when a child or young person needs somewhere safe to stay unexpectedly.

There are many reasons why this might happen. A sudden family crisis, illness or safeguarding concern could mean that remaining at home is not currently possible. In other circumstances, an existing care arrangement may unexpectedly break down.

The priority is to ensure the child has somewhere appropriate and safe to stay while their circumstances are assessed and plans are made for what should happen next.

Emergency fostering is therefore defined primarily by its urgency. An approved foster carer may need to respond with significantly less notice than they would receive for a planned placement.

You can find a more detailed explanation in our What Is Emergency Foster Care? guide.

How Does an Emergency Foster Placement Work?

No two emergency foster placements are exactly the same. A child’s individual needs, circumstances and care plan will always influence what happens.

However, the journey will generally involve several key stages.

1. A Child Needs Somewhere Safe to Stay

The process begins when circumstances mean a child or young person cannot safely remain in their current living situation.

This can happen unexpectedly and for many different reasons.

The immediate priority is the child’s safety and welfare, which may mean alternative care needs to be found quickly.

2. The Child’s Immediate Needs Are Assessed

Social workers and the relevant local authority consider the child’s circumstances and what type of placement is required.

They will gather as much relevant information as possible about the child and their immediate needs.

This could include their:

• Age.
• Health and medical requirements.
• Emotional and behavioural needs.
• Cultural or religious background.
• School arrangements.
• Family and sibling relationships.
• Previous experiences.
• Any known risks or safeguarding considerations.

In an emergency, professionals may have less information available than they would when arranging a planned placement.

3. An Appropriate Emergency Foster Carer Is Identified

The next stage is finding an approved foster carer who is available and able to meet the child’s needs.

Matching remains important even when an urgent placement is required.

A fostering agency, such as Apple, works alongside local authorities and social workers to assess whether a suitable foster household is available and could provide an appropriate placement.

Factors such as the foster carer’s experience, household, location, availability and existing placements may all be relevant.

You can learn more about how different placements work in our guide to types of fostering placements.

4. The Foster Carer Is Given Available Information

Once a potential placement has been identified, the foster carer should be provided with the relevant information available about the child and their circumstances.

Because emergency placements can happen at very short notice, there may be less time to prepare than with a planned placement.

The carer may need to quickly consider practical arrangements such as sleeping arrangements, food, clothing, medication, school and the child’s immediate emotional needs.

This is one reason emergency foster carers need to be flexible, patient and able to remain calm when circumstances change unexpectedly.

5. The Child Arrives at Their Emergency Foster Home

Arriving at an unfamiliar home can be overwhelming for a child, particularly when they have had little time to understand or prepare for what is happening.

The foster carer’s first priority isn’t to have all the answers.

It’s to provide safety, calm and reassurance.

That might mean showing the child their bedroom, offering them something to eat or drink, explaining who is in the household and giving them the time and space they need to settle.

Some children may want to talk. Others may be frightened, withdrawn, angry or confused.

An emergency foster carer needs to recognise that behaviour can communicate how a child is feeling, particularly where they have experienced trauma, loss or significant disruption.

Providing a calm and compassionate response can help a child begin to feel safe during what may be an extremely difficult period.

What Happens During an Emergency Foster Placement?

Once the child’s immediate needs have been met, their foster carer works alongside social workers and other relevant professionals to support them while further plans are made.

Day-to-day care will depend on the child’s individual circumstances.

The foster carer’s role may involve:

• Providing a safe and nurturing home.
• Establishing appropriate routines.
• Supporting school or education arrangements.
• Attending appointments where required.
• Supporting the child’s emotional well-being.
• Helping maintain important relationships where appropriate.
• Working with the child’s social worker.
• Observing and responding to the child’s individual needs.
• Helping prepare the child for whatever happens next.

Fostering can involve supporting children who have experienced complex circumstances, which is why carers need appropriate preparation, guidance and ongoing foster carer support.

What Does an Emergency Foster Carer Do?

Emergency foster carers perform the same fundamental role as other foster carers: providing safe, stable and compassionate care to a child who cannot currently live with their own family.

What makes emergency fostering different is the speed at which a placement can happen.

Carers may have limited time to prepare and need to feel comfortable responding to unexpected situations.

Useful qualities include:

• Patience.
• Flexibility.
• Empathy and compassion.
• Emotional resilience.
• The ability to remain calm.
• Good communication.
• Confidence working with professionals.
• An ability to adapt quickly.
• A willingness to learn.

You won’t be expected to develop these skills alone. Foster carers undertake training and receive professional support to help them understand the needs and experiences of the children they care for.

How Quickly Can Emergency Foster Care Be Arranged?

The defining characteristic of emergency foster care is that a placement needs to be arranged urgently.

In some circumstances, this can mean finding somewhere safe for a child on the same day or at very short notice.

This is very different from a planned placement, where carers and children may have more time to prepare and potentially meet beforehand.

The amount of information available may also vary.

Emergency foster carers, therefore, need to be prepared for uncertainty while working closely with their supervising social worker and other professionals involved in the child’s care.

This doesn’t mean a carer is left to cope alone. Professional support remains an essential part of helping both the foster carer and child navigate an emergency placement.

How Long Does Emergency Foster Care Last?

There isn’t one set duration for an emergency foster placement.

The purpose of emergency care is to provide immediate safety while professionals determine the most appropriate next step for the child.

Some placements may be very brief. In other circumstances, a child may need to remain in foster care for longer while plans are developed.

The length of the placement will therefore depend on the child’s circumstances and care plan rather than a fixed emergency fostering timeframe.

If temporary care is required beyond the immediate emergency, short-term fostering may form part of the child’s ongoing care.

What Happens After an Emergency Foster Placement?

An emergency foster placement isn’t necessarily the child’s final destination.

While the child is safe, social workers and other professionals can assess their circumstances and determine what should happen next.

Depending on the individual situation, this could involve:

Returning Home

Where it is considered safe and appropriate, plans may be made for the child to return to their parent or family.

Living With a Family Member

In some circumstances, an appropriate relative or other connected person may be able to care for the child.

Moving Into Short-Term Foster Care

A child may require short-term fostering while further assessments or plans for their future are completed.

Moving Into Long-Term Foster Care

Where a child cannot return to their family and requires greater permanence, long-term fostering may eventually be considered as part of their care plan.

Moving to Another Appropriate Placement

The child’s needs may mean another type of placement is more suitable.

Whatever happens, transitions need to be handled sensitively. Children entering emergency foster care may already have experienced significant disruption, so carers can play an important role in helping them understand and prepare for their next step.

Is Emergency Foster Care the Same as Short-Term Fostering?

Emergency and short-term fostering are closely related, but they aren’t exactly the same.

The key difference is why and how the placement begins.

Emergency foster care is required because a child needs somewhere safe to stay urgently, often with very little notice.

Short-term foster care provides temporary care while plans are made for the child’s longer-term future.

An emergency placement can sometimes lead to short-term fostering if the child needs to remain in care after the immediate crisis has passed.

Understanding the distinction can help prospective carers decide which type of fostering placement may suit their circumstances and experience.

Could I Become an Emergency Foster Carer?

You don’t need to have all the answers before considering emergency fostering.

However, the nature of these placements means you’ll need the flexibility and emotional resilience to welcome a child into your home at relatively short notice.

As with other types of fostering, applicants need to complete the fostering assessment and approval process before accepting placements.

Your suitability will be considered based on factors such as your home, relationships, support network, experience, health, lifestyle and ability to meet the needs of children in foster care.

You’ll generally also need an appropriate spare bedroom for a foster child.

Our Becoming a Foster Carer guide explains the wider journey from your initial enquiry through to assessment and approval.

What Training and Support Do Emergency Foster Carers Receive?

Emergency foster carers aren’t expected to manage challenging situations without professional support.

Before becoming an approved foster carer, you’ll undertake training designed to help prepare you for the realities of fostering.

This can include understanding:

• Safeguarding.
• Trauma and attachment.
• Children’s behaviour and communication.
• Emotional wellbeing.
• Working with birth families.
• Professional boundaries.
• Managing transitions.
• Working alongside social workers and other professionals.

Training continues after approval as your knowledge and experience develop.

At Apple, carers also have a supervising social worker and access to ongoing professional guidance throughout their fostering journey.

You can find out more about Apple’s foster carer training and support for foster carers.

Start Your Emergency Fostering Journey With Apple

Emergency foster carers can make an enormous difference during one of the most uncertain moments in a child’s life.

Sometimes that difference begins with something very simple: providing a safe place to sleep, a calm welcome, and reassurance that an adult is there to care for them.

If you’re interested in emergency fostering, the first step is to learn more about the role and decide whether it could suit you and your household.

Read our complete guide to What Is Emergency Foster Care? to learn more about emergency placements, eligibility, training and becoming an emergency foster carer.

If you feel ready to take the next step, contact Apple Fostering for an informal conversation with our team.