The Different Types of Foster Care Placements

There are many different types of foster care placements and the type of placement depends on the needs of the child being fostered. For example, a youngster may be in need of emergency foster care, short-term foster care, part-time foster care or long-term foster care. The length of a foster care placement will vary depending on each individual child’s situation. A foster care placement may last for days, months or years.

As a foster carer, you may be required to look after a baby, a child, a teenager or sometimes a mother and baby, or a family. You will decide what age range will suit your family (eg) younger or older. Some children or young people requiring fostering may have specific needs such as disabilities, or they may be asylum seekers or refugees.

Foster care involves looking after the child or young person on a day-to-day basis and meeting their needs. It also involves liaising with the child’s family and working alongside school teachers, medical professionals, social workers and sometimes legal professionals.

Types of Placements

Apple Fostering specialise in making emergency, parent and child, sibling groups and those with special needs. Our aim is to provide safe and secure accommodation for children in a family that is as similar to their own as possible in terms of race, culture and religion. We offer a range of placements that are vetted to ensure they are carefully matched.

These include:

  • Fostering Families
  • Fostering Babies and Toddlers
  • Mother and Baby
  • Disabled Children
  • Sibling groups
  • Parent and Child
  • Emergency
  • Short Term Foster Care
  • Bridging
  • Long Term
  • Part Time Fostering
  • Asylum seekers and refugees
  • Special Needs

Types of Placement

Long term placements

Many foster carers have a definite interest in providing placements for children or young people or sibling groups on a long term/permanent fostering basis, usually for the remainder of a child’s or young person’s minority.

Bridging placements

This generally forms part of a longer-term plan for a child or young person. In these cases, foster carers work with the children or young people to prepare them for joining adoptive or long term/permanent fostering families or for moving to semi-independent or independent living arrangements.

Assessment placements

These usually last up to 3 months during which time a detailed assessment is made of the needs of the child or young person and the specific support services they require.

Short term placements

Foster carers work with the child or young person and their families for up to 6 weeks after which the child will either return home or move on.

Emergency placements

Foster carers are able to accept unforeseen emergency placements for individual children or sibling groups, 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Parent and child placements

Placements for mothers and/or fathers and their child, where foster carers can provide guidance to parents and help them develop parenting skills

Solo placements

Provide a higher level of support, supervision and care for children and young people whose needs are very specific and complex.

Get in touch

0203 432 0663

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