Part-time foster care (sometimes people call it short break care or respite fostering) provides temporary foster care for children who live full-time at home with their families or with full-time foster carers.
There are several part-time fostering options, all of which help to support children and their full-time caregivers.
Part-time fostering is perfect for families, couples or single people who maybe work, have busy lives or may be retired, but still want to make a positive difference to a child’s life.
Part-time foster carers look after children during evenings, weekends and the school holidays, when the part-time carer is available. We also need part-time foster carers who can provide longer blocks, particularly during the school holiday periods.
If you want to become a part-time foster carer, we need you to commit to at least one weekend a month and up to 8 sessions each month, depending on your schedule and availability.
Though part-time foster carers will not be looking after a child full-time, they still need to meet fostering standards and requirements, including having a spare bedroom to be able to offer overnight care to a child or young person.
Part-time foster carers can offer a range of part-time care according to their own availability and choice and we can talk you through how this can work during your enquiry call and your home visit.
Planned visits including overnights
Part-time foster carers provide a range of pre-planned short stays for children and young people who already live with a full-time foster carer or special guardian. Part-time foster carers can also provide emergency fostering overnight stays if appropriate and available, as well as planned holiday cover for foster families if a child is not allowed or unable to go on holiday with their full-time foster family.
Part-time foster carers can provide up to 8 sessions a month, ranging from an overnight stay to a couple of weeks during the school holidays. They must be able to offer at least one weekend most months.
Short breaks for children with disabilities
This is a specialist fostering service for children and young people with physical or sensory disabilities, a learning disability, significant health care needs, or a combination of these.
Short breaks carers for children with disabilities give the children and their families, carers or guardians regular planned breaks, such as one overnight sleepover each month and one evening every 2 weeks. . This supports the children to have new experiences, helps them develop independence and gives their family a chance to recharge their batteries and spend time with any other children.
We carefully match carers and children according to the carer’s skills and the child’s specific needs. Specialist foster carers receive specific and full training and support.
Holiday care
Holiday carers look after foster children for short periods of up to 2 weeks to provide holiday cover to the main carer.
Children usually stay with holiday carers because their main foster carer is taking annual leave; or a child cannot be taken on holiday due to their legal status; or the main carer is experiencing a family emergency.
Demand is highest for this type of care during the school holidays so would particularly suit people who work in a school or college, or maybe retired.
More information
What do part-time foster carers do?
Part-time foster carers help change children and young people’s lives for the better. Depending on what kind of part-time care offered, they may provide:
- planned stays, daytime or overnight;
- offer a safe place for when a child comes in to foster care as an emergency;
- regular visits and planned overnights / weekends to help prepare children living in children’s homes to live full-time in a family again;
- support a child and their family with planned visits when a family is struggling.
Part-time foster carers have fun, go swimming, bake cakes, go on trips, have children over for sleepovers. Then the child goes home.
Short breaks for children with disabilities carers are matched very carefully to make sure they have the skills and experience to provide the kinds of breaks the child or young person will enjoy.
Short breaks fostering gives children and young people with disabilities and/or complex health needs planned and ongoing opportunities to:
- have a safe place to build relationships outside their family
- join in activities with another family
- be supported to build independence and choice
- enjoy activities and outings
- try out new experiences
- visit the same short breaks family consistently
Who are the children that need short breaks?
Foster for Bradford looks after children with a wide range of disabilities and/or complex health needs.
Most of the children live with their families and some live with other foster carers all the time.
They live in the Bradford district.
Some children and young people will have:
- a physical disability
- a learning disability (moderate to severe)
- a sensory impairment
- complex needs including multiple impairments which may include health needs
- autism
How much time do I need to dedicate as a part-time foster carer?
If you have at least one weekend a month to spare, part-time fostering could be for you. Usually, part-time foster carers offer up to 8 sessions a month.
A session can be an afternoon (up to bedtime); an overnight stay or a daytime visit.
We would be grateful if you can offer more than one weekend a month too, especially during school holidays.
Are there any special requirements to be a part-time or short breaks foster carer?
Though part-time foster carers don’t look after a child full-time, you still need to meet all of the national fostering requirements. This includes being aged over 21, having a spare bedroom and fluency in the English language. You can learn more about our fostering requirements.
If you would like to provide short breaks fostering to children who have complex health needs or disabilities who require part-time specialist care, you will need to have experience in this area.
If this is an area of fostering you are interested in, we are always looking for full-time foster families who can provide specialist care as well.
Hear from our carer
Want to know more?
If you’re unsure what type of fostering would suit you best, we will be happy to talk through the options with you.