Emergency foster care

What is emergency foster care?

Emergency foster care is usually a short-term placement that happens at short notice. Babies, children and young people need emergency foster care for a range of reasons. Their home environment might be unsafe, their parents may have health or addiction problems, or are temporarily unable to cope. Children can also need emergency foster care due to unexpected bereavement and can sometimes arrive with only the clothes – or pyjamas – they are wearing.

Emergency foster care ensures they are in a safe home environment while care proceedings take place or an alternative long-term home is arranged. During this time – which may take hours, days or even months – they might experience a range of emotions and reactions to their situation. They need to feel they have been welcomed into a safe and secure environment.

Children in emergency foster care might have additional needs. They could display challenging behaviours that need addressing, or have physical or learning disabilities that require specialist skills. They might be babies who are suffering from substance withdrawal and need extra soothing and care.

Where children are to be adopted or reunited with their parents, they will need to make a transition into this new situation with help from their foster carer.

What does it take to be an emergency foster carer?

We look for particular types of people to become emergency foster carers, as your home will be the first place a child comes to after they’ve been removed from their normal environment.

• Patience, compassion and understanding as well as the flexibility to respond to a challenging situation and remain calm during a time of upheaval for the child or children.
• The ability to cope with foster children with additional needs – such as babies who are suffering from substance withdrawal and who need extra soothing or children with disabilities.
• Room for everyone – you also need to have a spare room to foster a child and, generally, all foster children need a room of their own, even siblings. An emergency foster carer needs to have a bedroom set aside at all times.
• The willingness and preparedness to be called upon 24 hours-a-day.

Of course, you won’t be doing this on your own but with the support of our specialist team, including your supervising social worker. You’ll be offered extensive, first class training to help you to manage different types of children and scenarios.

How do I become an emergency foster carer?

This is challenging but highly rewarding work that demands an empathetic, sympathetic and stoic mindset. Does this sound like you?

Being an emergency foster parent is such a varied role and it’s very rewarding to be able to step in and help a child in need. You do need to be organised and ready for anything, including liaising with professionals, birth parents and adoptive parents to make sure the child can process and adjust to the changes in their lives.

Our emergency foster carers don’t do this alone: National Fostering Group provides excellent support and training, starting with the application process, which we’ll take you through step by step. You’ll also have a dedicated Supervising Social Worker who is backed by an experienced local team, access to 24/7 advice and excellent training delivered in your area.

We pre-approve foster carers – both couples and individuals – for emergency foster care. Emergency foster care is sometimes suitable for people who work full time. If you think this type of fostering would suit you, please enquire now.