CAN I FOSTER?
Types of fostering
Respite
Short Term
Short Term
Respite fostering, otherwise known as 'Planned Breaks' for children in care, are short breaks for both parents/carers and children in care. From as short as a weekend to a week or longer, planned breaks can become part of a regular routine for the children in care.
As a respite foster carer, placements can vary depending on each family's u
Respite fostering, otherwise known as 'Planned Breaks' for children in care, are short breaks for both parents/carers and children in care. From as short as a weekend to a week or longer, planned breaks can become part of a regular routine for the children in care.
As a respite foster carer, placements can vary depending on each family's unique circumstances. However, as a foster care with Fostering Dimensions, you will also have access to our respite families if you require any planned breaks. All of Fostering Dimensions foster carers are entitled to a 15-day “respite allowance” should they need it, so demand for specialist respite carers is just as important to us as recruiting for standard foster carers.
Short Term
Short Term
Short Term
Short term placements can include anything from a single night for an emergency placement up to a two-year placement. The child in care will stay with you while their legal care proceedings are finalised, which usually takes around 25-26 weeks. Here, the child’s long-term plans will be confirmed – the decision of whether they can return t
Short term placements can include anything from a single night for an emergency placement up to a two-year placement. The child in care will stay with you while their legal care proceedings are finalised, which usually takes around 25-26 weeks. Here, the child’s long-term plans will be confirmed – the decision of whether they can return to their birth family or whether they will move on to a long-term fostering solution is often being made in these circumstances.
Most foster children are likely to start out on a short-term foster care plan, which is also known as temporary fostering. Short term foster care is more common with young children – and is mostly to support the child in care while care proceedings or care hearings are happening to determine the young person’s future.
Long Term
Short Term
Long Term
When long-term foster care is referred to, it’s not purely based on the length of time the child is in care for – it instead refers to the type of care plan the young person is on. Long term foster placements mean the child should remain in a specific fostering placement (in most cases) until reaching adulthood and leaving care.
This type
When long-term foster care is referred to, it’s not purely based on the length of time the child is in care for – it instead refers to the type of care plan the young person is on. Long term foster placements mean the child should remain in a specific fostering placement (in most cases) until reaching adulthood and leaving care.
This type of foster care is also known as permanent fostering – as it provides a more permanent consistency to young people who are unlikely to return to their families.
Steps To Foster
1. Telephone Enquiry
2. Your Initial Visit
Your first step will be to get in touch with us and submit a Telephone enquiry. This is your chance to ask us questions, and we’re here to answer them as quickly as possible! Whether you decide to get in touch with us online, or over the phone (01159792515), one of our friendly team members will be in contact with you within 24 hours.
2. Your Initial Visit
2. Your Initial Visit
Your first step will be to get in touch with us and submit a Telephone enquiry. This is your chance to ask us questions, and we’re here to answer them as quickly as possible! Whether you decide to get in touch with us online, or over the phone (01159792515), one of our friendly team members will be in contact with you within 24 hours.
3. Your Fostering Assessment
If the outcome of your Initial Visit is positive, we’ll create a Form F Assessment for you. This is the longest part of the application process, and depending on whether you pursue our Standard Assessment or our Fast Track Assessment, it can take 3-6 months in total to complete.
4. Your Skills to Foster Training
4. Your Skills to Foster Training
If your assessment goes well, you will be invited to your local Compass Fostering office to attend a 3-day Skills to Foster training course. This is to ensure you’re equipped with the skills and knowledge to always provide exceptional care for our children. It is led by one of our experienced Social Workers, as well as one of our existing foster carers.
5. Your Fostering Panel
4. Your Skills to Foster Training
6. Your First Foster Child
The final step in the assessment process is the Fostering Panel, an in-depth interview conducted by a number of professionals with a range of skills and experience in caring for children. During the interview, you’ll be asked a series of questions about your reasons for deciding to foster. After the panel, the professionals will decide whether to approve you as a Compass carer
6. Your First Foster Child
4. Your Skills to Foster Training
6. Your First Foster Child
If Your Panel is successful, it will mark the beginning of your journey as a valued memeber of the Fostering Dimensions family, as one of our newly approved foster carers. Your Supervising Social worker and placement officer will work closely with you, using the information we have about you, to find the best match for your very first foster child. We're here to support you every step of the way.