Respite fostering is ideal for people who have work commitments but still want to make a difference to a child's life by providing short term foster care. Respite foster care provides full time foster carers with a break. It's a great source of support for foster carers and it can benefit both the foster carer and the child by giving them a break from their usual routine.
What you can offer
A respite foster carer looks after a child for anything from one night to a few days or a week or 2 at a time. This can be the same child at regular intervals. You can become a respite foster carer, even if you have work commitments. Find out more about the general criteria that must be met to become a foster carer.
Support and training
Respite foster carers have access to the support and training offered to all foster carers.
Payments and allowances
Respite foster carers are paid a proportion of the weekly allowance offered to full time foster carers. Depending on the age of the child and the length of the stay, you could earn up to £431.58 per week.
Contact us
If you're interested in fostering, contact the fostering team for more information and advice.