How does respite care affect a foster parent’s responsibilities?

Respite care does not remove a foster parent’s overall responsibility for a placement. It creates a temporary arrangement in which another approved carer undertakes agreed care tasks, while the foster parent remains accountable for making sure the arrangement is appropriate, authorised and consistent with the child’s care plan.

The foster parent’s responsibilities usually change from providing all day-to-day care personally to coordinating a safe handover and maintaining oversight. The precise arrangements should be agreed with the fostering service, the child’s social worker and, where appropriate, the child’s parents or other people involved in their care.

• Confirming that respite is suitable: The foster parent should discuss why respite is needed, how long it is expected to last and whether the proposed arrangement meets the child’s needs. This may include considering the child’s age, communication, health, behaviour, relationships, vulnerabilities and ability to manage a change of carer.
• Checking authority and permissions: Respite should be arranged through the fostering service’s agreed process. The foster parent needs to understand what decisions the respite carer can make and which decisions must remain with the foster parent, social worker, local authority or another person with parental responsibility. This is particularly important for medical treatment, education, travel, activities, photographs and contact with family members.
• Providing accurate records: Relevant documents and information should be available to the respite carer in the format required by the fostering service. These may include the child’s care plan, delegated authority arrangements, medication instructions, emergency contacts, consent information, school details and safeguarding guidance. Information should be shared lawfully and only to the extent needed for the child’s care.
• Maintaining safeguarding oversight: The foster parent must take concerns seriously, including disclosures, injuries, missing episodes, changes in behaviour or allegations. The respite carer should know how to report a concern, but the foster parent should also follow the fostering service’s reporting procedure and ensure that significant information reaches the appropriate professionals.
• Managing practical arrangements: Responsibility includes agreeing collection and return arrangements, transport, belongings, medication, equipment, meals, activities and emergency contacts. If the respite period affects school attendance, appointments or family contact, this should be confirmed in advance rather than left to informal assumptions.

During the respite period, the foster parent may not make every routine decision, but they should remain reachable in accordance with the agreed plan. The respite carer will normally manage ordinary daily matters within the authority given to them. More significant decisions, unexpected changes or concerns may need to be referred to the foster parent or the fostering team. A clear distinction between routine care and decisions requiring professional approval helps prevent confusion.

The foster parent also has a responsibility to avoid placing the respite carer in a position they are not prepared for. They should be open about known risks, triggers, communication needs, health requirements and behaviour that may require additional support. Withholding difficult information can put the child and respite carer at risk and may undermine the placement. If the child’s needs change, the agreed arrangements may need to be reviewed rather than continued automatically.

Respite can also affect the foster parent’s responsibilities towards other members of the household. They may need to explain the arrangement to birth children or other household members in an age-appropriate way, protect the foster child’s confidentiality and make sure that household rules remain consistent. Where the respite carer is caring for the child in their own home, the foster parent should follow the agreed arrangements for personal belongings, communication and any contact during the stay.

Afterwards, the foster parent should consider whether the arrangement worked safely and whether anything needs to be changed. Relevant information may include a new health issue, a missed appointment, a change in presentation, a positive development or a concern raised by the respite carer. The foster parent should record or report this through the required process and discuss any implications for future respite. This is not about assessing the respite carer informally; it is about ensuring that the child’s care remains properly coordinated.

Respite may therefore reduce the foster parent’s immediate caring duties for an agreed period, but it does not turn the placement into someone else’s sole responsibility. The foster parent continues to act as an important source of continuity, advocate for the child and point of communication, while the fostering service retains its professional oversight and safeguarding duties.

Before agreeing to respite, useful questions include:

• What decisions can the respite carer make independently?
• Who should be contacted if the child becomes unwell, distressed or unsafe?
• What information must be recorded, and who needs to receive it?
• How will changes to contact, school, appointments or medication be managed?
• What happens if the arrangement no longer appears suitable?

These points should be settled with the fostering service before the respite begins. Written guidance is preferable where possible, particularly when the child has complex needs or several professionals are involved.