Types of Fostering

Parent and child foster care placements offer a home to a baby or young child together with its parent. The aim of this scheme is to provide a safe, family based placement for parent and baby. It may be that a parent has not had a positive family life and positive input from a foster carer can provide the help a young parent needs in addition to reassurance, guidance and support. As a foster carer, you would be helping develop parenting skills whilst ensuring the child was in a safe, secure and nurturing environment

The foster carer does not necessarily provide parental care (except if required) but helps and encourages the parent to develop their skills.
Parent and Child foster carers also play a key role in observing and recording how the parent looks after the child.  Foster carers develop skills in this area of work, taking part in assessments and encouraging young parents without taking over their parental responsibilities. Some need more practical help right from the word go - how to hold a baby or feed a baby. Some need more emotional support, some need both.

This kind of fostering placement is often an alternative to a mother and baby unit when the young mother becomes looked after by the Local Authority when they are unable to remain in their family home.
The baby benefits from being brought up in a family environment and the young mothers gain tremendously from the support and advice offered by the foster carer. It also enables some teenage mothers to complete their schooling or to have a job.

These placements last on average about 12-24 weeks

Parent and child or can be complex and challenging and the foster carer requires skills and qualities such as:

• Assertiveness
• Discretion
• Confidence
• Sensitivity
• 24-hour commitment

There is a growing need for more foster carers who are interested in looking after young parents and their babies. If you are interested in offering a parent and baby placement you will need to gain some experience of fostering first to develop some of the skills you will need for this role.

The Assessment Process

Foster carers who are able to offer placements to Parents and their children, will be assessed as to the same standards as all foster carers. The need for statutory checks and references also apply.