Long term fostering placements usually last until the child or young person has aged out of the foster care system and becomes a care leaver.
A child or young person may be placed in long term foster care if they are unable to return to their birth family and adoption is not possible. You will be providing a child with a stable, loving home in the long term.
Children rarely begin by being placed into permanent care – often they enter the care system with the expectation of returning home once the circumstances that led to them being placed in to foster care have been resolved.
However, if the child’s home situation cannot be remedied, a court order is issued giving the local authority legal responsibility. When this happens, an independent fostering agency like us can match the child with appropriate foster parents. This can then develop into a long term foster placement if successful.
Long term foster care can develop from other types of foster care placements. For example, an emergency foster placement can turn into short term fostering, which can then turn into long term fostering.
When you foster a child or young person in a long term fostering placement, you provide them with a sense of permanency and stability within a secure home environment. This stable foundation then allows the child to build healthy relationships and attachments with the members of their new family, while the local authority still have full responsibility.
With long term fostering placements, the child or young person can settle into a more permanent routine, benefitting their education as there is more time to settle in at school without the disruption of being transferred between fostering homes.
Foster care is an extremely rewarding career that allows you to have a huge impact on the life of a child. We help you build a long term relationship that gives a child a brighter future. Alongside this, we provide you with a competitive long term fostering allowance to cover the cost of expenses.
Learn more about other types of fostering.
With long term fostering, the local authority and the child’s birth parents still have full responsibility for the child – although you take on the role of the parent and make some decisions with regards to the child or young person’s welfare. When you become adoptive parents, you have full parental responsibility.
Learn more about the differences between fostering and adoption.
When you foster with Capstone, you become part of our team. We help you become the best foster carer you can be by providing you with training, support and expertise. We ensure that there is always an experienced professional at your service 24 hours a day.
If you’re interested in becoming a foster carer, register your interest with Capstone Foster Care today. Alternatively, call a member of our friendly team on 0800 012 4004.
If you’ve got any questions or would like to find out more about fostering with Capstone, fill out the form below.
An experienced fostering advisor from your local area will then be in touch.
Start the conversation today. Our team of friendly advisors are on hand to answer any foster care questions you may have. We can offer you honest and practical advice that can help you decide if becoming a foster carer is the right path for you.
