Types of foster care

Parent and child fostering is where you foster a parent (or parents) and their child for a limited amount of time (usually up to 12 weeks, but it can be longer). 

Parents in this situation have often come from the care system themselves and would look to you to show them practical and emotional support in caring for their child. We need parent and child foster carers who can:

• support the parent(s) and give them advice, supervision and safeguarding
• give them practical advice and provide emotional support, while they learn to parent their child
• be flexible and on-hand during the night - particularly in the early stages with a newborn baby
• assess the parent with their child in your home and submit regular reports based on your observations (this is to support their development). 

Ultimately, the goal is for the child to feel loved, safe and secure, and for the parent(s) to feel supported and confident, so they can look after their child on their own when they leave the fostering placement.