What support is available when a foster placement ends?

Support when a foster placement ends should help you understand what has happened, complete the necessary safeguarding and recording work, and decide what happens next. The support offered will depend on why the placement ended, whether the ending was planned, and the needs of the child, but your fostering agency should explain each stage and give you an opportunity to raise concerns.

The first step is usually to clarify the reason for the ending. A child may return to their birth family, move to a different foster home, move towards adoption or another permanent arrangement, or leave foster care when they become an adult. Sometimes a placement ends because the child’s needs have changed or the arrangement is no longer suitable. Understanding the decision can help you provide accurate information, make sense of the outcome and prepare for future placements.

Where there is time to plan, the agency, local authority and other professionals should agree how the move will take place. This can include preparing the child for the change, arranging contact with people who are important to them, transferring belongings and personal information, and agreeing how education, health and other appointments will be handed over. Foster carers should be told what they need to do and who is responsible for each part of the plan.

If a placement ends suddenly, the priorities are different. The agency should help you respond safely, record what happened and pass relevant information to the child’s social worker. You may need guidance about contact, communication with the child, returning medication or belongings, and what information can be shared with other people. Do not make separate arrangements with the child or their family without checking with the professionals responsible for the placement, as confidentiality and safeguarding requirements still apply after the child has moved.

After the child has left, you may be asked to provide factual records, dates, observations or other information that will help the child’s social care team understand the placement. Keep notes objective and distinguish between what you saw, what the child said and your own interpretation. Your agency should explain how records are stored and whether any further information is required. You should also ask how sensitive documents, photographs, medication and equipment should be dealt with.

There may also be practical matters to settle. Ask the agency to confirm how the end of the placement affects fostering payments, approved expenses, outstanding costs and any arrangements for transport or property. Payment arrangements can depend on the fostering agreement and the circumstances of the placement, so do not rely on assumptions. Keeping receipts and checking the final statement can help identify anything that needs clarification.

Some foster carers need time to adjust after a child leaves, particularly where they have cared for them for a long period or the ending was unexpected. A useful post-placement discussion can help you consider what went well, what was difficult and whether any further advice is needed. This is also an opportunity to discuss how the ending has affected other children or adults in your household and whether they need an explanation suited to their age.

It is important to ask about contact after the placement. In some circumstances, continued contact may be appropriate and agreed by the child’s social care team. In others, contact may not be permitted or may need to be carefully managed. Any arrangement should put the child’s welfare first and should be clear about who initiates contact, what information can be exchanged and what to do if the child or their family contacts you directly.

The end of one placement does not automatically mean that you must accept another. Before considering a new placement, speak with your agency about whether your household is ready, whether anything has changed in your circumstances and what type of placement would be suitable. You can ask for the information needed to make an informed decision, including the child’s needs, known risks, expected contact arrangements and the support available for that particular situation.

Before the placement is formally closed, useful questions include:

• Who is responsible for explaining the ending to the child?
• What information, records or belongings need to be handed over?
• What contact, if any, is permitted after the child moves?
• How will outstanding expenses and fostering payments be dealt with?
• Who should you contact if new information or a safeguarding concern arises?
• What needs to happen before you consider another placement?

If you are unhappy with the way a placement ended, raise the concern with your supervising social worker or agency representative and ask about the formal complaints procedure if necessary. A placement ending can be difficult to understand, but clear information, careful record-keeping and appropriate professional guidance help protect the child and support you as you continue your fostering journey.