Emergency Fostering

Emergency Fostering

Emergency foster care placements provide shorter-term care for infants and babies who may need somewhere to stay at short notice. These children may be entering care because their home environment is unsafe or perhaps because their parents or carers are suffering from physical or mental health problems. Emergency placements aren’t unusual and can be the most important when keeping a child safe from harm. Our carers who are approved for Emergency placements, are available from very short notice and have the time and space ready to accommodate a child in their home.

The circumstances of when an emergency placement is required is when a child enters care immediately due to the unsafe environment within their home or unexpected bereavement.

The emergency placement ensures that children have a safe place to stay while any care proceedings can take place or possibly an alternative long term placement is found.

Children requiring an emergency foster placement are often scared and confused. They haven’t had time to get their head around the situation or they may be too young to do so. Suddenly they have found themselves in a strange environment away from the people they know and love. Therefore, emergency foster carers need to be extra patient and understanding.

Out of all of the different types of fostering, an emergency foster parent takes on a more transitional role, and although at times this role can be demanding, it is also extremely rewarding.

Emergency fostering tends to be short, perhaps a day or two, while social workers assess the child’s family situation and, if the circumstances are appropriate, locate family members who may be able to look after the children while the family’s structure is stabilised following a sudden illness, death of a parent, or accident that disrupted the family’s life. Emergency foster care pay is provided to support carers who offer immediate and short-term care during these urgent situations.

If you are interested in becoming an Emergency fostering carer or would like to know more information, why not give us a call on [contact hidden]. A member of our team would love to speak to you and answer all your fostering questions.