Long-term fostering
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In many ways long-term fostering is similar to adoption. Both mean bringing up a boy or girl as you would your own child.
You can share all their ups and downs from doing up shoelaces and helping with homework to celebrating their achievements and sympathising over disappointments.
Your relationship with a child can continue all the way through to standing beside him or her in their wedding photographs and babysitting their children.
The difference between adoption and long-term fostering is to do with the legal status of the child.
For instance, a parent may refuse to give permission for a child to be adopted. Or sometimes, children have waited so long for an adopter that we have to consider long-term fostering as an alternative.
We desperately need more long-term carers for children aged 8 and over. We also need more people with the time and space for groups of two or three brothers and sisters who wish to stay together. Black people and people in mixed cultural relationships are always in demand.
If you wish to foster long-term we will assess you in the same way we assess all foster carers. Once you are approved we will match you to a suitable child.
You will meet several times and get the chance to see if you get on before deciding to go ahead. You will receive all the payments, training opportunities and support to which all foster carers are entitled.
Leroy:
"Me and my sister still get letters from our Mum. Sonya doesn’t remember much about Mum, but I do. Her letters make me feel sad – I wonder what she’s doing now and what she looks like and if she’s happy.
"I sit down and talk with Dan and he cheers me up again. Dan and Marie have fostered us for the last 6 years and it’s good to know we’ll always be here."
Want to know more?
If you would like to know more about long-term fostering, then please contact us.