What is respite fostering?
Respite foster carers provide a very valuable service by providing temporary care to foster children so our regular foster carers can have a break. Respite carers may also offer support to families who are at risk of breakdown because they don’t have other support available to them.
Respite fostering is a way of getting involved without having a child living with you full time – a child or children will usually stay with you for just a few days at a time. How often you provide respite depends on your availability.
Respite fostering: a case study
Joshua, who is 14 years old, has been with his foster carers for eight years. He is really settled and he likes being there. Joshua has additional, complex needs and needs to be supervised constantly. To support the carers in continuing to care for him, they have regular breaks called ‘respite’.
Joshua now has regular respite foster carers whom he stays with for a weekend every two months. He has a great relationship with them and they have become like an extended family for him. Joshua has been able to go for sleepovers with them for the last four years.
Could you be a respite foster carer?
Could you provide respite and look after a child for a short while for another foster carer? If you’re patient and can commit to regular weekends to look after a child or young person who may have more challenging behaviour, we would love to hear from you. To find out more about what’s involved, call us on 0300 131 2797 or enquire here.
How much do foster carers get paid?
You won’t be expected to do it for free! Fostering is a paid role and can be a professional career choice for many.
Foster carers’ pay has two parts: The reward for the foster carer, plus maintenance pay, or an allowance, for the child. You will receive your reward, plus the child’s allowance when they are living with you. These are paid fortnightly directly into your bank account.
Find out more about foster care pay and allowances.