Types of fostering

There are many different types of fostering that carers undertake to best meet the needs of the child.

During the approval process, the fostering panel assess the type of care that would best suit a foster carer's circumstances. It could be one, or several of the below. With training and experience, carers can even choose to specialise. Please contact the team if you have a particular question about a type of fostering.

Task centred care

The most common type of care in the borough, task centred care focuses on completing a task or tasks with the fostered child or young person. This could be anything from mediation work between them and their family (helping them to resolve any conflict), helping them to prepare for more permanent care or getting them ready to move back home. Timescales of care can vary, being dependant on the needs and circumstances of the child. Request an information pack from the fostering team for more information.

Respite care

Respite care is planned care for short periods of time. This could be to give the child’s family, or main carer, a break or to cover a period where normal care is unavailable.

Respite care is an ideal introduction into foster caring, ranging from a few hours a day, a weekend, or for the duration of a school holiday. It allows a degree of flexibility if you are interested in becoming a carer, but unsure whether you should stop working.

Specialist care

A scheme developed by the fostering team over the last few years, specialist care has proven highly successful. Specialists are usually experienced carers (minimum of a year as a foster carer) who focus on caring for more challenging children and young people. In most cases these are teenagers who may have criminal, drug or alcohol problems, or be at risk of causing themselves harm. A lot of training is available for those wanting to become specialists, and as a result, an enhanced financial package is offered.

Parent and baby care

Parent and baby care involves the foster carer giving their support and guidance to new parents, usually a mother with a baby or young child. You could make the difference to a mother and baby.

Other types of fostering

Permanent fostering

Is a way of providing long-term care to a child when their own family is not in a position do so. The child is matched to a foster carer who can support and nurture them through to adulthood. Due to the long term nature of permanent fostering, the matching process is done by the Adoption and Permanancy Team, however all of the support and training come from the fostering team. For more information call the Adoption and Permanancy Team on 020 8891 7883, or read the leaflets available on this page.

Fostering by family or friends

(or ‘kinship fostering’) Is for children who are looked after by the local authority, but cared for by people they already know, usually another family member or a family friend. This can be highly beneficial for the child, minimising any upheaval whilst being cared for by someone they are familiar with. If the child is not looked after by the local authority, children can live with their aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters or grandparents without outside involvement.

Private fostering

Is when parents make a special arrangement for their child to stay with someone else for more than 28 days (consecutively). This person is usually outside the family, not a close relative, and has no direct parental responsibility for the child.

Whilst this may be a special type of arrangement, the local authority must be informed as there are particular rules about how the child is looked after. To let the team know and to ensure that the child's welfare is maintained, contact us on 020 8891 7969 and we'll arrange an initial visit to discuss the situation.

Contact the fostering team, or a foster carer

Call: 0800 085 7072
Email: fostering.info@richmond.gov.uk