Fostering Babies & Newborns | Fostering Infants

Types of foster care

What needs does a foster baby have?

A baby’s birth parents may place them into foster care voluntarily, or they may arrive because they have suffered abuse, neglect or been affected by drug or alcohol problems.

This means some babies have additional care requirements due to developmental or attachment issues, or even serious medical problems including addiction withdrawal.

Babies often arrive with foster parents at very short notice. They need a safe space and a high level of care that will comfort and nurture them. They will also need stimulation in order to learn. From the get-go, they will be learning language skills, sense of self and other essential skills for life.

Foster babies need to stay in the room of caregivers at least until the age of six months; a child over the age of two needs their own bedroom. Babies require an intense attachment from their caregivers, so it can be a wrench to hand them over to their birth parents or adoptive parents.

What to expect from fostering a baby

Fostering infants and young children is particularly rewarding because of the impact the first three years of a child’s life has on their personal development.

If you’re already a parent or have experience of caring for babies, that’s the perfect start. But bear in mind, a foster baby will most likely be placed with an experienced foster carer, so you will need to be open to other types of fostering too. This might include emergency foster care for toddlers or children of primary school age. You will also need to make the most of training opportunities provided by the National Fostering Group.

You will need good interpersonal skills to work closely with birth parents and other family members too, to allow them to develop their attachment relationship; or you could host meetings with prospective adoptive parents.

Our infant foster carers don’t do this alone: National Fostering Group provides excellent support and training. You 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.

If you think this type of fostering would suit you, please enquire now.

The fostering process for babies

Whether you plan to care for teenagers or toddlers, the process itself is largely the same for other types of fostering. When you apply to become a foster carer, part of your application will ask what age groups you would like to be considered to look after.

During your assessment, your suitability for fostering different groups will be appraised, including identifying different strengths and weaknesses that can then be developed. On a practical level, young babies need to stay in the room of caregivers at least until the age of six months, so if you are interested in getting involved in foster care for babies, you will need space for a cot in your bedroom. Children aged two and above must have a bedroom of their own.

The importance of a child’s first three years

Fostering babies and young children is recognised by many as a particularly rewarding role because of the impact the first three years of a child’s life has on their personal development. During this period we develop not only our language skills but also our sense of self, direction of our emotions and some of our ability to form relationships. This can make fostering babies and young children a very demanding role that comes with a lot of responsibility.

As a nurturing foster carer you are likely to witness babies in your care encountering many things for the first time, and will need to provide care that helps how they learn, behave and think far into their future. You will need to prepare very young children in your care for their lives with future adoptive parents or return to their birth parents, depending on the local authority’s Care Plan.

Extra considerations when fostering a baby

Fostering any child is a 24/7 role that requires a lot of energy and focus, and this may be considered even more true in the case of fostering babies. This is because babies require very close care that incorporates tasks such as night feeds, cuddling and soothing.

You will need the skills to work closely with parents and other family members and host meetings with prospective adoptive parents. Contact with birth parents can be very frequent to allow the birth parents/person with parental responsibility the opportunity to develop their attachment relationship.

Children of all ages can come into care in challenging circumstances and while many babies’ caregivers may place them into care voluntarily, others may arrive because they have suffered neglect or been impacted by the drug or alcohol problems of their birth parents. Medical issues and abuse issues in the home can also be contributing factors. This means some babies may have additional care requirements because of resulting developmental or attachment issues or even serious medical problems.

If you’re already a parent or have experience of caring for babies, you may feel confident about your caring abilities. However, unlike the arrival of birth children, you’re likely to have relatively little time to prepare for the entrance of a foster baby into your household. Those who provide emergency foster care for babies may sometimes only get a few hours’ notice in order to prepare. With this in mind, you may decide to keep some essential baby supplies such as a few nappies or clothes in different sizes in preparation for such calls.

Young babies naturally require lots of interaction and engagement to help them learn to bond with people and build their essential skills for life. This close care can make saying goodbye at the end of a placement difficult and while this is something your training and support team will try and prepare you for it’s definitely one of the tougher elements of fostering a baby.

Experience of Fostering Babies

Laura was a two-year-old who was the size of a 3-month old baby due to severe neglect. She had serious disabilities and could not talk or stand up and move like a child of her age. She showed signs of stress and was scared of people and of being held.

During her first six months with her foster parents, Laura learned how to grasp toys, crawl and walk. It took three months for Laura to start walking from crawling. Her foster parents worked with a physiotherapist and other professionals. Her growth improved and her first teeth started coming through, and she has had help overcoming her phobias.

Today, Laura is a totally independent child who does not need any help from the hospital. Her growth and development is normal for a child of her age, now six. She is in mainstream school and doing very well – a happy, healthy and active child. Read Laura’s full story.

Fostering Babies: Frequently Asked Questions

Can I foster a baby?

Babies, children and young people up to the age of 18 can be fostered. Babies and young children tend to be put up for adoption but will be fostered during a transition period (called bridging foster care). A foster baby is usually placed with an experienced foster carer whose skills will closely match the child’s particular needs – for example, if they have a medical or developmental issue. You will need to be open to other types of fostering, like toddlers or children of primary school age.

Do I need an extra bedroom to foster a baby?

No – it’s expected that a baby would stay in your bedroom, at least until the age of six months. Your bedroom will need to be large enough to comfortably accommodate a cot and other necessary equipment. A foster baby can stay in your bedroom until the age of 2; they will then require their own bedroom. Learn more about foster care bedroom requirements.

Can I foster babies only?

Foster infants are usually placed with experienced foster carers because of the high level of specialised care they need. If you don’t have experience fostering, we recommend that you are open to fostering toddlers or older children too. This will help you to gain experience and is highly rewarding.

Even if you do have experience, keep in mind that there are fewer opportunities to foster infants than older children, so it is a good idea to be open to fostering children of different ages. You could also consider parent and child fostering, where you support a new parent to develop the skills and confidence they need to look after their child.

Fostering a baby