Can I choose whether to provide short-term or long-term fostering?

You can express a preference for short-term or long-term fostering, and this will form part of the discussions during your assessment. However, fostering is based on matching a child’s needs with the right household, so your preference cannot guarantee that every placement offered will follow one particular arrangement.

What you can usually discuss

As part of your initial conversations and assessment, you can explain the type of fostering you are considering and why it may suit your household. For example, you may feel that:

• short-term fostering fits around your current family or work commitments;
• you would prefer to support children who need a stable home for a longer period;
• you are open to either type of placement;
• you have experience or skills that may be particularly useful for a certain age group or level of need.

Your assessing social worker will explore your expectations in detail. This includes looking at how a placement could affect other members of your household, your support network, your work and caring responsibilities, and the space available in your home.

Why the child’s needs take priority

A placement is arranged because a child needs somewhere safe and suitable to live. The matching process considers factors such as the child’s age, experiences, behaviour, education, health, relationships with family members and plans for the future. It may also take account of contact arrangements, whether the child has brothers or sisters, and the type of support they need.

This means a fostering service may contact you about a placement that is not an exact match for your original preference, but is considered suitable for your approval and circumstances. You can ask questions about the child and the proposed arrangement before deciding whether to accept it. You should not feel obliged to accept a placement that you believe is unsuitable or that your household cannot safely manage.

How preferences are considered during assessment

The assessment is used to understand the kinds of placements you may be able to provide safely and effectively. It normally involves discussing your parenting approach, personal experience, relationships, health, home environment, safeguarding responsibilities and ability to work with social care professionals and a child’s family.

Training and preparation will help you understand the practical differences between placement types. You may also be asked to consider whether you could support children with particular experiences or additional needs. Your approval will reflect the conclusions of the assessment and the recommendations made by the fostering service, rather than being based solely on the type of placement you initially prefer.

Can your preference change?

Yes. Your circumstances, confidence and experience may change after you begin fostering. A carer who initially wanted only short-term placements may later decide to consider a longer arrangement, while someone expecting long-term fostering may find that short-term placements are more appropriate for their household.

Any change should be discussed with your supervising social worker and considered alongside your current approval, training and household circumstances. You should not agree to a new type of placement without understanding what it involves and whether the necessary support is available.

Short-term placements may not always remain short term

Short-term fostering is often provided while decisions are being made about a child’s future. Those decisions can change as assessments, court proceedings or family arrangements develop. In some cases, a child may return to their family, move to another placement or remain with the same foster carer for longer than first expected.

If a placement may continue beyond its original plan, this should be discussed with you. You can consider whether you are able to continue, taking account of the child’s needs and the effect on your household. A short-term placement becoming longer term is not automatic, and it requires careful planning rather than an assumption that you will agree.

What to ask before accepting a placement

Before making a decision, ask for clear information about:

• the expected purpose and likely duration of the placement;
• what is known about the child’s needs, routines and behaviour;
• contact with parents, relatives or siblings;
• education, health and transport arrangements;
• the support, training and practical equipment available;
• what may happen if the plan for the placement changes.

It is sensible to involve everyone in your household in these discussions. A realistic preference helps the fostering service identify suitable opportunities, but flexibility is also important because children’s circumstances do not always fit neatly into a short-term or long-term category.

In summary, you can choose the type of fostering you want to work towards and set reasonable boundaries during assessment, but you cannot select the exact duration or circumstances of each placement. The final decision depends on whether the proposed arrangement is safe, suitable and in the child’s best interests, as well as whether it is right for your household.