We work tirelessly to find exactly the right foster placement for every child and every carer.
These are the types of foster care we regularly offer:
Emergency fostering
Emergency fostering placements come at short notice, when a child needs to be rehomed immediately due to it being unsafe for them to stay where they are.
Short-term foster care
Sometimes, short-term foster care is required in the interim before children can be moved to a longer-term placement. Foster carers like you can help by giving children all the care and attention they need as they settle into their temporary home and prepare for their next move.
Parent & child fostering
Parent and child fostering is when specialist foster carers provide homes for one or both parents together with their child. Foster placements like this involve the foster carer supporting the family and helping them with parenting skills, whilst our staff conduct parenting assessments.
Bridging placements
Bridging is a type of short-term foster care which takes place when babies or very young children need a temporary home before moving on to somewhere more permanent. You may be asked to provide foster care on a short-term basis as we prepare to move children back in with their family or find long-term care or adoption placements.
Long-term foster care
Sometimes the best solution is for the child to remain with a foster family for several years or up until they’re ready to take care of themselves, which is where long-term foster care comes in. More often than not, the child will become a firm member of your family for the rest of your life.
During the fostering assessment process, we’ll talk through any questions and concerns you may have about different types of foster care, to make sure you’re completely comfortable with the foster placements you’re asked to do. We can also provide ongoing training and support to help you prepare for more specialist placements, such as a training course on parent and child fostering.
If you’d like to find out more about fostering with NFA, take a look at our guidance on becoming a foster carer, or read our real-life fostering stories to discover more about what fostering is really like. We also have a frequently asked questions page, which is packed with helpful information.
If you have any further questions about fostering, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Give us a call on 0800 044 3030 or use the contact form on this page to request a call back.
