Emergency Foster Care
Sometimes children need foster care in an emergency situation. Could you provide a safe and nurturing home to a vulnerable child or young person? If so, emergency fostering could be for you.
What is emergency foster care?
Emergency foster carers provide short term care for children and young people where there is a need for them to be in a safe and secure environment at very short notice. Emergency fostering placements could be due to a number of unanticipated occurrences or events such as violence in the child’s or young person’s home, parent taken to hospital with a sudden illness, death of a parent or an accident or safeguarding issue.
Emergency foster parents provide foster children and young people with a caring, understanding surrounding, helping enable a sense of security. They help to make a child, who is probably scared, maybe feeling alone and completely out of their comfort zone, feel not just welcome, but at home. It’s the least any child or young person deserves.
Are you thinking of fostering?
Download the FCA’s complete beginner’s guide to fostering a child. Find out more on how to foster a child and the process involved.
How long is emergency foster care for?
Emergency fostering is a temporary foster care placement and can be anything from a couple of hours, days to a few weeks. Often unplanned with little to no notice, there usually isn’t time for foster parent and child introductions.
Why emergency foster care is so important
Emergency foster care may be required at any time of the day or night, as well as weekends. We provide an out of hours service, so we’re able to help children during times of emergency.
Foster parents provide children and young people with a caring and nurturing environment, when they need it the most. In an emergency situation, a child will be feeling scared and alone so a supportive foster parent is vital and can make all the difference to a child feeling more settled, safe and supported.
Who can offer emergency foster care?
Foster parents will know little to nothing about the circumstances of the child or young person requiring emergency foster care. In these situations, foster parents will need to be flexible, adaptable and equipped.
Our training, support and expertise are available to help you and the children in your care. Think of us as an extended friendly team, there for you, 24/7, whenever you need us, whatever your question.
Other types of fostering
From helping a young person with the transition from residential care to providing a foster child with a caring family environment for several years, we have many foster parenting options available.
Benefits of working with FCA
24/7 advice service
Excellent ongoing training
Access to your local fostering team
Competitive payments
Local support groups
Local social activities and events
Can’t find what you’re looking for?
By Phone
Call a member of our friendly fostering team and they'll be able to answer all your questions