Find out about the different types of fostering

Children and young people come into the care of the local authority for a variety of reasons. They are most often cared for by our team of dedicated foster carers, who have the necessary skills to provide them with the positive, nurturing care they need.

Foster carers require skills and qualities such as:

• Motivation to care for children
• Empathy
• Sensitivity
• Resilience
• Assertiveness
• Discretion
• Confidence
• 24-hour commitment

The type of fostering you could provide depends on you, your lifestyle and experiences and the needs of your own family.

Becoming foster carers means you are assessed and approved to foster. To reduce 'red tape' in Coventry, we ‘approve’ our foster carers to care for children aged 0-18 but most foster carers state a preference for a particular age range which we use for matching the right children with the right foster carers. During the assessment and matching we take into consideration the needs of the children and the skills and experiences of the fostering family and any children already in the household.

Most people start their fostering career as a short term foster carer. In Coventry we are recruiting for the following types of fostering:

• time-limited (or short term) fostering. This can mean anything from an overnight stay to a period of several months or years. Short-term foster carers provide a safe, positive home until the child can return home to their own family or a longer-term arrangement can be made.
• long term fostering. Sometimes children will not be able to go back to live with their own families for a number of years, if at all. Long-term fostering allows children and young people to stay in a family where they can be supported and feel secure, whilst maintaining contact with their birth family.
• fostering unaccompanied teenagers. These young people, who have travelled alone to the UK, need support and advice to help them come to terms with their previous experiences and to adjust to life in the UK.
• therapeutic fostering. This scheme, called 'Next Steps' supports young people, mainly teenagers, who due to their experiences may require a more intense level of support as the only young person in a family home setting. It is a career opportunity for people with relevant experience who want to work from home as part of a team with social workers, health and education professionals.

We run a number of information events, online or at The Council House, you can find out more about them and register your interest.