Respite foster care
Fostering involves sharing your heart and home with a child or young person in need of a nurturing environment.
Many people researching a role as a carer soon find there are different kinds of fostering and ask:
What is respite foster care?
Sometimes referred to as “short-break care”, respite foster care is a type of fostering designed to let foster parents and birth parents rest and rejuvenate, while allowing children a chance to socialise and enjoy new experiences outside of their foster or birth family in a way that feels safe.
What is the role of a respite foster carer?
Providing respite foster care, you’ll supply temporary care to children so that foster parents and birth parents can access some much-needed time for themselves.
Respite care is typically provided for short periods ranging from one to two days, or around a week at most. This type of foster care can happen at weekends or during the week.
Sometimes, children who have additional needs will visit respite foster carers for between one to four nights a month, so their family can take a break.
Respite carers provide foster and birth families with a valuable service, giving them a well-earned rest so they can keep offering high-quality care to the children or young people they look after. Whenever it is possible, respite care is planned, which allows children to form a relationship of trust with the respite foster carer.
Respite carers are visited by the same child consistently. This lets carers get to know the children and their family fully, while fitting caring around the working hours of their regular job. A rewarding and highly specialised role, a respite foster carer provides children with a nurturing home-away-from home where they can flourish.
Respite fostering for families experiencing stress
Respite foster care gives birth and foster families time off when they need additional support due to high stress levels.
Parents under such circumstance sometimes need a short break time to help them recharge. Respite fostering provides families with a chance to remain together while having an opportunity for rest. It can help when families have a child with additional needs or a disability that requires high levels of care.
How much do you get paid for respite foster care?
We believe that all types of foster carers should be paid properly and promptly for the important role they perform. As a result, we supply payments higher than the government’s recommended rates to those who work with us, including respite foster carers.
The exact amount you earn for your service will always depend on the number and needs of children that you care for, but is tax-free within certain limits. With respect for the specialist service they supply, we provide a generous allowance for respite foster carers, which is paid pro-rata when stays are less than a full week.
What do children do in respite care?
While staying with respite foster carers, children from foster and birth families get a chance to connect with other children in play environments. They may also have an opportunity to enjoy leisure activities and learning experiences designed for their age-group.
Children are provided with a room of their own in the respite foster carers home, and with each visit they build a bond of trust.
How do you become a respite foster carer?
To be eligible to offer respite foster care, you must be aged 21 or over and have a spare bedroom in your house.
If you are interested in finding out more about a role providing temporary care around your existing job, we can help. Our dedicated team are always on-hand to answer any questions and concerns you have, and to put your mind at ease before you apply.
You may have already conducted research on what being a respite foster carer is like and feel you’re a good fit. If this is the case, you can count on us for step-by-step guidance as you apply.
Our support doesn’t stop there. Once successful, you can rely on us for well-matched placement and specialist training to help you answer the needs of the child you care for.
However, if you are an experienced respite carer working with another agency seeking a transfer, or returning after a break, we would also love to meet you. We provide our carers with a competitive income and access to our fostering community and round-the-clock support.
Providing respite foster care can be a great way to experience fostering short-term to find out if a long-term role would suit you. To find out more about being a respite carer in the North West, reach out to us today at Beacon Fostering.