The commitment required to foster understandably worries a lot of potential carers, however, you can foster on a smaller scale by becoming a respite carer or short-term carer if you do not want to commit long-term. Both still required a huge commitment as you take on the challenge of safeguarding a vulnerable child, however, you won’t be required to care for a child on a long-term basis.

Respite care is where you care for a foster child for a maximum of two weeks. This allows the child’s current foster carer to take a well-deserved break to unwind and have some time to themselves. After all, even short-term foster care is a full-time job!

Parents with their biological children take time to themselves from time to time to give themselves a break from parenting. A respite carer simply makes it possible for foster carers to take some time for themselves as well, it is important to give yourself a rest period for your emotional, physical and cognitive well-being. In the meantime, it gives the foster child their own time away to do something new with the respite carer.

Short-term carers care for children for a longer term than respite carers but no longer than 2 years. Usually, short-term carers step in to help look after a child who has a plan along the lines of being adopted, returned home to their birth family, or put into a long-term fostering arrangement.

While caring for a child is never going a small commitment, it does not have to become a long-term fostering role if you do not want it to. Being a respite carer provides much-needed support to others in the foster care system and bother respite and short-term care can change a young person’s course to a much brighter future.

If you have questions about fostering, message us on Facebook, Instagram or on LinkedIn to find out more.

If you prefer to phone or want to discuss becoming a foster carer call 01622 765646.