Long-term Fostering
Long-term foster care gives children and young people the secure and stable environment they need to reach their full potential and have the childhood they deserve.
What is long-term fostering?
Long-term foster care means that a child or young person lives with a committed foster parent until they reach adulthood. They become part of the family, which gives them a sense of belonging and helps them form healthy attachments that positively influence their relationships now and in the future.
The permanent one-to-one support that a long-term foster parent can provide is exactly what young people need in order to thrive.
Benefits of long-term fostering
One of the key benefits of being a long-term foster parent is having the opportunity to make a significant difference because you'll look after the child or young person for several years. Not only do you have the chance to make a difference, but you also get to see the impact your dedication, love and nurturing care have on the child or young person as you guide them to adulthood.
Children benefit from long-term foster care because it offers them the stability to:
- Build relationships and form attachments.
- Develop a sense of belonging.
- Heal from their trauma.
- Progress in their education.
- Connect with the local community.
- Follow their hopes and dreams.
- Have the childhood they deserve.
When children and young people in long-term foster care become independent, they often stay connected with their foster families. They may turn to them for advice and meet up to celebrate occasions and milestones, just like any other family.
Long-term fostering allowances
Foster care is a rewarding vocation that has unique challenges and demands. We value the dedication and hard work each foster parent brings to their role. This is why we offer competitive long-term fostering allowances, generous benefits and perks for our long-term foster carers.
Our long-term fostering allowances recognise the demands of foster care and the significant part you play in supporting the growth and development of children in your care by being there for them long-term.
Fostering allowances are designed to help you cover the cost of looking after the young people in your care with enough left over to reward yourself.
We realise that not every child is the same, and each placement presents unique challenges. To recognise this, at FCA, we offer extended training and enhanced allowances for foster parents who open their homes to children and young people with disabilities, autism and specialist behaviours.
This increase to your long-term fostering allowance will cover the extra support and expenses required to provide the best specialist care to these children and young people.
To learn about the tax relief and exemptions you receive as a long-term foster parent and how much you could earn by fostering, visit our fostering allowances and payments page.
How is long-term fostering different from adoption?
If you’re considering long-term fostering or adoption, they may appear to be similar, but there are some fundamental differences:
- Unlike adoption, a child in long-term foster care will remain the legal responsibility of the local authority. With adoption, the legal rights of a child get transferred to their adoptive parents.
- When adopting a child, you do not receive an allowance, but with long-term fostering, you continue to receive your fostering allowance while you have the child or young person in your care.
- If a child can't live with their parents and they either don't want to be adopted or it isn't feasible to do so, long-term fostering can be the best alternative.
Long-term v Short-term Fostering
Children in long-term foster care will live with you until they reach adulthood. However, sometimes, children need short-term foster care, which can last from a couple of weeks up to two years.
Short-term foster parents still have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of children and young people in care that can last a lifetime.
Long-term Fostering Matching Process
When you foster with FCA, our referrals team will really get to know you, working closely with you to ensure the child or young person matches well with you and your family. We want our children and young people to feel settled and stable in their long-term foster homes, so we provide 24/7 support and enhanced training, so you feel confident in your role.
Children are at the centre of everything we do, and that's why we have our Team Parenting model that gives you access to fostering specialists who provide therapy, education guidance and more.
Benefits of working with FCA
24/7 advice service
Excellent ongoing training
Access to your local fostering team
Competitive allowances
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