Types of Fostering
What placement options are available?
Have a fostering question?
A Full Range of Foster Placements
As a foster carer, there are a range of placement types that you can choose to be available for. These include Standard and Specialist types of fostering placements. It is a good idea to learn about what is involved with each kind of placement and during your assessment discuss your choices with the Social Worker undertaking your assessment, they will help you understand and choose what will suit your family. When approved as a foster carer, you will be given terms of approval which set out the number of children, the age range and the type of care you can provide. This might include emergency, short break (respite), interim, long-term or permanent care. This may change over time as you gain more experience.
All our foster carers benefit from comprehensive training, both pre and post-approval, Swiis are committed to ensuring that our foster carers develop professionally. Once you have been approved as a carer, the Placement Team will work closely with you to understand your requirements and the skills that you have so that they can find the right placement match for you.
Click the tabs below to view more information on that type of placement.
Emergency
An unplanned placement required urgently usually same day.
Short Break
Provides long term foster carers with an opportunity to recharge or alternatively to support children at home or in kinship placements.
Interim
Providing temporary placements for children and young people until their plans for the future are confirmed. This can be emergency (with little advance warning) or planned.
Long-term
When a decision has been made that a return home is not possible, the foster carer looks after the child or young person as a member of their family until they are ready to be independent.
Parent and child
Parent and child placements are offered with carers who have experience and interest in helping parents to develop their parenting skills and who can offer assessment and monitoring as required.
Sibling groups
Providing care for family groups of brothers and sisters who need to stay together.
Permanence
Permanence is for children where it has been decided they will not return to their birth families but adoption is not an option. These children are looking for a ‘forever family’ who can care for them until they are ready to move on, live independently and to continue to support them as adults.
Find out more on our Permanence Fostering page.
Continuing Care
Provides ongoing support to young adults in existing placements up to the age of 21.
Continuing Care
Placements are also available including placement for asylum seekers, unaccompanied minors or other specialist placements.
Start Your Fostering Journey
With thousands of children coming into foster care in the UK everyday, we urgently need foster carers more than ever.
Refer a Friend
Do you know anyone who would be a fantastic foster carer who has the skills and compassion to support a child or young person in need of a loving home?
