Long Term Foster Care
Long-term foster care aims to offer a secure and permanent home for a child or young person.
Introduction to Long Term Foster Care
There are many different types of fostering placements, for example, at Family Fostering Partners we support foster parents who offer long term fostering, respite care, short term fostering, as well as more specialist forms of foster care such as parent and child fostering. Long term foster care is a form of fostering which is designed to provide stable and permanent homes for children and young people who are unable to live with their birth families. Unlike other forms of fostering, long term fostering aims to provide a child or young person with a home until they reach adulthood and are ready and able to live independently.
What Does Long Term Fostering Involve?
Long term fostering is distinct from other forms of foster care such as short-term or emergency foster care, because it is aimed at finding a permanent long term home rather than a temporary solution to address immediate crises. Consequently, unlike these temporary solutions, long term foster care aims to create a lasting and secure home environment for a child or young person where they can live until they are ready and able to live independently.
Support for Foster Parents
At Family Fostering Partners we are proud of the support that we are able to offer our long term foster parents through comprehensive training, support groups, and financial compensation. By investing in the continuous development of our foster parents, we ensure that children in long term foster care have the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential in a nurturing environment.
Understanding Long Term Fostering vs. Adoption
It’s important to understand the difference between long term fostering and adoption because despite there being quite a few similarities they also differ in crucial ways.
- If you provide long term foster care, the local authority remains legally responsible for the child in your care, while in adoption, the legal responsibility is transferred to the adoptive parents.
- Foster parents, including long term foster parents, are entitled to a financial payment to support, assist, and reward them for the care that they provide. As an adoptive parent, you assume full legal responsibility for the child and are not eligible for such payments.
- Contact with the birth family may continue in long term fostering, whereas it is generally minimal or non-existent in adoption.
Commitment and Support in Long Term Foster Care
Choosing to open your heart and home to a child or young person by becoming a foster carer is a significant decision. For example, choosing to foster long term means making a commitment to guiding a child through their whole life from early developmental stages, education, and transition to independence.
Watch the video below to hear from Davin, a care experienced individual who was supported in a long term fostering placement with FFP foster parents.
At Family Fostering Partners, we carefully match foster parents with children who complement their skills, preferences, and personalities, ensuring that both carers and children benefit maximally from the placement.
Our foster carers often highlight the profound benefits of long term fostering, which include:
- Developing a deep, enduring bond with the child or children in their care.
- Creating a secure and more permanent home environment.
- Having greater autonomy in daily caregiving decisions.
- Making a lasting, positive impact on a child’s life and future.
How To Become a Long Term Foster Parent?
To become a long term foster parent, you will need to go through the same application process as respite or short-term carers. The application process will be completed with the help of one of our assessing social workers, who will provide guidance and support throughout. Learn more about the process on our Becoming a Foster Parent page.
If you are considering becoming a foster parent and would like to learn more about long term foster care, then you can get in touch by filling out the contact form.