When you become a foster parent, one of the decisions you’ll need to make is what type of fostering you’ll provide.
Every child has different needs; some may move into a foster home during an emergency, whereas others may just need a place to stay occasionally, while their foster parents rest and recuperate. And some children may need a place to call home until they turn 18.
But which type of fostering is right for you?
In this article, we’re focusing on emergency and respite foster care. Although they are both short-term fostering arrangements, there are some key differences between when they’re needed, the flexibility required from you, and how they’re arranged.
Join us as we explore these types of foster care, so you have all the information you need to decide which one will work best for your family and personal circumstances.
Emergency and respite foster care explained
What is respite foster care?
In traditional family set-ups, parents may rely on extended family and friends to care for their children while they have time to themselves. This gives their children the chance to build relationships with relatives and close family friends, while parents have a well-deserved break, safe in the knowledge that their children are being well looked after in their absence. Respite for foster carers works in the same way.
Fostering can be challenging at times, and we encourage our foster parents to take a break if they need one to prevent burnout. As a respite foster parent, you’ll help these foster families by becoming part of their village of support, caring for their foster children while they get some rest. Respite foster care is sometimes referred to as weekend fostering, but you could look after a child for a few days to a week at a time – and sometimes on a recurring basis.
Respite fostering arrangements are usually organised in advance, and we give you time to get to know a child before they stay with you. We also try our best to make sure children are always cared for by the same respite families whenever their foster parents have a break. This helps children continue to feel safe and secure, while giving them and you the chance to build that extended family-like bond.
What is emergency foster care?
Sometimes children need a foster home at very short notice. This could be in the middle of the night, during the day or at weekends. As an emergency foster parent, you’ll provide a temporary home to a child in crisis for a few days or weeks, until they return to their family or move to a longer-term foster home.
Children might need an emergency foster placement for several reasons, including:
- Witnessing or being the victim of violence in the home.
- Safeguarding concerns, such as abuse or neglect.
- The death of a parent or guardian.
- Parent or guardian illness and hospital admission.
- Accidents in the home, such as fire.
- Losing their home through fire, natural disaster, eviction, or repossession.
If you choose this type of fostering, you’ll be a lifeline to children who are scared, confused and have nowhere else safe to go.
Which type of fostering should you choose?
To become either a respite or emergency foster parent, you must:
- Be 21 or over
- Have a spare bedroom
- The legal right to work in the UK
- A passion for making a difference in the lives of children and young people
But whether either of these types of fostering is right for you and your family depends on a few factors.
How flexible are you?
If you have a flexible schedule and don’t mind receiving a sudden call, sometimes at night, about a child who needs a home, you could be well-suited to emergency fostering.
However, if you’d prefer to know well in advance when a child will stay with you, and have commitments which make it difficult for you to be flexible, providing respite care for foster families might be a better option for you.
How long would you like to care for a child?
Although both emergency and respite foster care are types of short-term fostering arrangements, the length of time you care for a child differs.
With emergency fostering, you could look after a child for just a few days, but if it takes longer for decisions to be made about where a child should live going forward, they could end up staying with you for several weeks.
Respite foster care, on the other hand, is more of a part-time fostering role, with arrangements usually only lasting a couple of days, and if they do last longer, you’ll know about it before the child comes to stay with you.
Do you want to provide regular care?
The lovely thing about respite care is that you become like the extended family, building your own special bond with the children you care for, especially if a regular arrangement is organised.
If you welcome a child in an urgent situation, although the placement could last longer, once plans are made for them to move on, you may never have the opportunity to foster them again.
How much notice will you need to prepare for a child?
Could your home be ready at a moment’s notice? If you want to provide emergency foster care, your home will always need to be prepared, just in case you receive a call.
For example, at Christmas, many of our emergency foster parents buy and wrap presents for children and young people of different ages, so a child won’t feel left out if they move in at short notice during this time.
However, if you provide respite care, you’ll have more time to prepare their room, buy their favourite food, and make plans for what you’ll do together while they’re in your home.
Are you adaptable?
One of the biggest differences between emergency and respite care is how much you know about a child before they stay with you.
When you offer respite care, you’ll have a lot more information about a child, including their likes and dislikes, triggers, and interests, than you would if you provided emergency foster care. You’ll even get to meet them before you welcome them into your home.
Due to the urgency of emergency foster care situations, there is only so much information social workers will be able to give you about a child before they move in. This means you have to be adaptable and able to think on your feet to help a child feel welcome and settle in when they are scared and confused.
What sort of impact would you like to have?
Every type of fostering makes a difference; however, when you open your home to a child in urgent need, you help rescue them from a desperate situation.
In 2025, around 105 children moved into care every single day in the UK. But the number of foster carers available to provide them with an emergency home decreased and continues to decline. By becoming an emergency foster parent, you’ll make a significant difference to children who have nowhere else safe to go.
Whereas with respite care, although you will help children by becoming part of their wider support network, they already have safe foster homes, which means you’re likely to make more of an impact if you foster in an emergency.
Supporting you on your fostering journey
At the end of the day, whether you choose to become a respite or emergency foster parent, you’ll have a positive impact on every child you welcome into your home, and you won’t have to face any challenges on your own.
At FCA, you’ll receive wrap-around support, a generous fostering allowance, and extensive training, so you’re prepared to care for children who’ve had difficult experiences.
Get in touch today
If you’d like to learn more about fostering, call us on 0800 023 4561, or submit your details via our enquiry form. Our knowledgeable team are ready to help you decide which type of fostering would be the best fit for you and your family, so you can start your journey with confidence.
