Fostering - What type of care could I offer?

The Moray Council needs a range of types of foster placements.

Respite

Some children need to be away from home for a short period of time – maybe because a parent is in hospital. Others may have a regular break of two or three days for a period of time to enable them to stay at home longer term.

Sometimes another foster carer needs a break or holiday.

Emergency

Children sometimes come into foster care without prior notice. It may be that parents cannot be located, or an incident has happened that requires immediate investigation. Such children often arrive with few belongings, afraid and unsure what will happen. Foster carers need to be flexible to cope with the unknown and supportive to a distressed child.

Short-term

This could be anything from a few nights to a couple of months. Short-term fostering provides children with a safe place while social workers work with their families.

Permanent placements

After working with a family for a while, it is sometimes concluded that a child will remain in foster care until they are able to live independently. In these situations The Moray Council looks for foster carers who can take a child for a number of years.