types of fostering

Short-term foster care provides children with a safe place to stay when they need it most. Whether for hours, days, weeks or months, this temporary care is sometimes as the result of a sudden change in circumstances, so can happen at short notice. At other times, it might be the first thoughtful step on a child’s new journey. In any case, matches are made with care and always have what’s best for you and the child at heart.

Even though these placements are short-term, they can make a huge difference in a child’s life, as our carers are there when no one else is.

Beyond providing a place to stay, short-term foster carers in Ceredigion will work closely with our team to help define the child’s journey for the long-term, whether that is to another foster family, back to their family, or towards adoption.

Long-term foster care means permanence. Some children and young people remain with their foster carer until they reach adulthood, leave care and beyond.

So, rather than a long-term placement, we like to think of the journey as joining a new home and family.

Children who need long-term care in Ceredigion can’t live at home with their family, for one reason or another. So, our goal is to provide them with a stable, secure alternative. To provide them with permanence. It means a child has a stable foster family for life.

Beyond short-term and long-term foster care, there are some specialist kinds of placements which fall into these two categories. They include…

Everyone needs a break every now and again, and that’s exactly what short breaks aim to provide: a chance to have a few days away from family, staying in a safe and loving space.

Also known as ‘support care’, short breaks typically are taken over weekends or for a couple of weeks at a time. They can be one-offs, or organised on a regular basis.

Short break carers quickly become an extension to the child’s family, offering a holiday from everyday life and providing support when it is needed most.

Not all forms of care are for children only. Sometimes, it’s both parents and their children who require a nurturing environment.

A parent and child placement is designed for experienced carers to pass on knowledge and skills to young parents who require help and guidance. Our carers support the parents, helping them learn how to care for their child, in a safe and supportive environment.

It is a dual role, which ultimately leads to more children remaining with their parents and more families being able to stick together.

Some children have more complex emotional, behavioural or medical needs and require an extra level of ‘therapeutic’ care. These placements can be arranged with carers who have additional training, skills and time. If becoming a therapeutic carer is something you want to pursue, we’ll guide you every step of the way.