types of fostering

The length of Gwynedd’s short-term foster care isn’t set in stone – it could mean hours, days, months or maybe a year. It all depends on what’s best for the child. At the end of the day, it’s about providing a safe place while longer-term plans are made.

We work with our short-term foster carers towards securing ‘long-term’ matches (sometimes called permanence) when this is the best option for the child. The short-term foster parent’s role is a big one – you offer all the support and care the child needs, but you also help them take the next step when they’re ready; to their family, a new foster family or adoption.

You’d be wrong if you think short-term means ‘less’ in any way. This kind of fostering is really important – it’s often the first step on a brilliant new journey that is different for every child we care for.

What is long-term exactly? Well, it’s about security, acceptance and a new home for children who can’t stay with their families.

We’re dedicated to finding the right foster family for each child. With long-term foster care, it’s about looking ahead and making the decision to be there – to be family – without deadlines. You offer stability and something permanent, maybe for the first time.

Short breaks, or support care, offer that little break away for a child who needs it most. It isn’t defined by a particular length of time, but offers a short getaway for a night, a weekend or even just a few hours.

Our team plans short breaks in advance, making them a regular occurrence or just when the child needs it. Shorter breaks offer great new opportunities for a child to experience a different family and home, helping build new memories for them.

Short break foster carers become an extension of a family, offering a loving environment when it’s needed most.

A parent and child foster care placement helps parents build up the skills they need, both personally and for their child. This type of placement enables you to share your own parenting experience with someone who really needs that support. You’ll have the opportunity to nurture the next generation so that they can do the same.

It’s an important part of the fostering journey for many, and one that can make all the difference to a family.

Providing therapeutic foster care is an incredibly rewarding type of care, and our team will always give an extra level of support to both the child and the foster carers involved.

Children with more complex emotional or behavioural needs may benefit from a slightly different kind of care. That’s what therapeutic placements can provide.

It’s that little extra support and guidance they might need that can help them develop.