Long term fostering

Long term fostering, or permanency requires a special type of dedication and commitment.

We always work really hard to make a good match between children and the families they are going to live with.

Matching is like finding the right puzzle pieces that fit together. Every child is unique—with their own personality, background, experiences, and needs. Every foster family is unique too—with different skills, lifestyles, routines, and strengths. Matching is about finding the best fit between the two.

When a child first comes into care, everything can feel uncertain.  They may arrive in a short-term foster placement, somewhere safe to stay while adults work out what is best for their future.  It is vital that carers are patient and kind.  But children still have that uncertainty.

Children slowly learn the rhythms of the household.  They share celebrations, build memories and become part of the fabric of the home. They start to feel safe enough to trust, to grow dream and be themselves.

Sometimes these short arrangements grow into long-term matches.

The goal is for the child to stay with the family for many years, hopefully until adulthood. It’s about building a lasting relationship, not just meeting short-term needs.

“She arrived with her older brother, in an emergency, just for the 6-week summer holiday.

She was only 3 and tiny.  But we knew she had arrived.  She was like a tornado! Into everything and not quietly either!  Her older brother was quieter and so troubled, but she was so brave and resilient. After the 6-week holiday had ended, the assessments into their family hadn’t finished so I was asked if they could stay longer.  I loved caring for them both, so it was a really easy decision.

This turned into months, and we had a wonderful Christmas together.  The children began to settle but still had a really long journey back to their previous school and mum would often not be well enough to attend family time.

D, who was now 9 started to have more visits between him and his father who was a different dad to his little sister.  It was evident that they shared a really close bond.  He loved him dearly, and it was decided that following spring he would return to live with his dad, which was obviously best for both of them. 

Mum was really hard to reach by now so plans had to be made for the previous bundle of love that had come into my life.  I felt so lucky to have met her. My children loved her and she just fitted.  It is hard to explain really but she belonged, and I couldn’t imagine being at home without her in it. 

Sometimes in fostering the decisions are easy, and being part of her life, not just for a chapter but for the whom story was one of those incredibly easy decisions and 8 years later, I have never looked back.”

When a child first comes into care, everything can feel uncertain.  They may arrive in a short-term foster placement, somewhere safe to stay while adults work out what is best for their future.  It is vital that carers are patient and kind.  But children still have that uncertainty.

Children slowly learn the rhythms of the household.  They share celebrations, build memories and become part of the fabric of the home. They start to feel safe enough to trust, to grow dream and be themselves.

Sometimes these short arrangements grow into long-term matches.

The goal is for the child to stay with the family for many years, hopefully until adulthood. It’s about building a lasting relationship, not just meeting short-term needs.

“She arrived with her older brother, in an emergency, just for the 6-week summer holiday.

She was only 3 and tiny.  But we knew she had arrived.  She was like a tornado! Into everything and not quietly either!  Her older brother was quieter and so troubled, but she was so brave and resilient. After the 6-week holiday had ended, the assessments into their family hadn’t finished so I was asked if they could stay longer.  I loved caring for them both, so it was a really easy decision.

This turned into months, and we had a wonderful Christmas together.  The children began to settle but still had a really long journey back to their previous school and mum would often not be well enough to attend family time.

D, who was now 9 started to have more visits between him and his father who was a different dad to his little sister.  It was evident that they shared a really close bond.  He loved him dearly, and it was decided that following spring he would return to live with his dad, which was obviously best for both of them. 

Mum was really hard to reach by now so plans had to be made for the previous bundle of love that had come into my life.  I felt so lucky to have met her. My children loved her and she just fitted.  It is hard to explain really but she belonged, and I couldn’t imagine being at home without her in it. 

Sometimes in fostering the decisions are easy, and being part of her life, not just for a chapter but for the whom story was one of those incredibly easy decisions and 8 years later, I have never looked back.”