Can I Have a Full Time Job and Still Conduct Emergency Foster Care?

Working and fostering is a question topic we get asked time and time again. Can I work and foster? Do I Need to give up my job? Will my career get in the way? 

These are all important considerations for anyone looking to take on the rewarding role of a foster carer, especially in cases of emergency foster care, where flexibility can be key. While there are no hard and fast rules, there is some general advice. Let’s explore all options and help you arrive at the best decision for you.  

Your Role in Emergency Foster Care

Emergency foster care offers a fostering placement to a child or vulnerable young person who are at immediate risk of requiring temporary foster care. Emergency foster care has a short notice period, often just a few hours warning, and so, flexibility is fundamental. 

First and foremost, a child’s safety is always the most important. As an emergency foster carer, you must be ready to provide a safe, stable, and supportive environment for children who may arrive at very short notice and in need of immediate care. This means being adaptable, compassionate, and able to handle unexpected situations calmly.

Due to the hasty nature of emergency foster care, there isn’t always time for formal introductions and careful planning. Children may arrive at any time of day or night, sometimes with little background information available. This means emergency foster carers need to be prepared to welcome a child into their home with limited details about their history, needs, or even how long they might stay.

Why Do Children Need Emergency Foster Care?

Children may need emergency foster care when their home environment poses an immediate risk to their safety or well-being. In these situations, finding a supportive and caring family is critical to providing stability and comfort during what is often a highly distressing period for a child. Emergency foster care may be needed urgently in cases such as:

• Exposure to domestic violence that puts a child in immediate danger.
• Legal or police interventions at the home.
• Sudden illness or death of a parent or guardian

Emergency foster carers play an essential role in offering children a safe and nurturing space during these unexpected and challenging circumstances.

Emergency Foster Care and Working

The decision to take on emergency foster care isn’t one you make lightly, it’s a lifestyle choice you weigh up, resulting in you being 100% this is the correct path for you. There are multiple factors that come into play, one of the most talked about being financial considerations. 

Now, fostering is a fully funded career. There are differing foster carer payment plans available, again with different influencing factors for amount, frequency and type of support provided. 

Even though foster care career opportunities come with a salary, fostering and working is probably more common than you think. According to the Fostering Network, almost 40% of foster parents in the UK hold down another job alongside their fostering commitments.

Many people are facing challenging times, and family dynamics have evolved. A growing number of individuals who wish to care for vulnerable children are single or not in relationships, meaning they may not have a second income to help with financial support. While finances likely aren’t the primary motivation behind becoming a foster parent, we understand that they are an important consideration.

At Family Fostering Partners, our priority is finding the right person to provide a safe and supportive environment for children in emergency foster care. We welcome individuals from various backgrounds and understand that many people may be balancing other commitments, including employment, alongside fostering. We believe that being a dedicated and compassionate foster carer doesn’t necessarily mean you need to put your career on hold; with the right support and resources, fostering and working can go hand in hand.

Emergency Foster Care Friendly Jobs

It’s encouraging to see a growing number of companies becoming fostering friendly. This initiative enables employers to support employees who are fostering alongside their work, acknowledging and accommodating the unique commitments that come with the role.

Balancing a career with fostering responsibilities is increasingly feasible in the UK, thanks to the growing number of employers adopting Fostering Friendly policies. 

• John Lewis: As the largest organisation to receive Fostering Friendly accreditation, John Lewis Partnership offers additional paid leave to new foster carers within its businesses, including John Lewis and Waitrose.
• Department for Education: The DfE became the government’s first foster-family-friendly employer, granting staff who foster children extra support to balance their work and care responsibilities.

How Fostering Friendly Employers Support Foster Care Career Opportunities

Employers with Fostering Friendly policies typically offer:

• Flexible Working Arrangements: Adjustments to work schedules to accommodate fostering responsibilities.
• Additional Leave: Extra paid leave for training, meetings, or settling a new child into the home.
• Supportive Workplace Culture: Recognition and understanding of the challenges associated with fostering.

For more information on working in tandem with emergency foster care or any other type of fostering please reach out to a member of our team, or to start your fostering journey today, complete our fostering application form.