We offer a range of flexible fostering placements to suit your lifestyle, along with ongoing training and a great support package.

There is a huge variety and diversity in the children and young people who need a safe and loving home, and we need all types of foster carers to support their needs.

All foster carers go through the same approval process, but not all foster carers do the same type of fostering.  There is a type of fostering to fit around a range of lifestyles, whether that’s three siblings’ long term, or one child for short stays (also known as respite), two weekends a month.

Respite (also known as short stays) fostering works for foster carers who would like to support a child but may have work or other commitments that mean they cannot look after children on a full-time basis.  Some foster carers start with short stays to build up their experience and confidence before developing to full time fostering.

Why are short stay carers needed?

Short stay carers step in to care for a child if their current foster carers are unable to for a short period (due to an operation or illness for example). Short stays can be beneficial in helping a child and their carers reset and take a break during a particularly challenging time.

• “We had a child come to us who’d been struggling with his behaviours, but we used therapeutic caring techniques we’d learned to nurture him, and it really seemed to work – his social worker said that he left us like a different child. We remember having these silly dance parties in our front room, it was something we found we all liked to do – dancing in the front room, taking turns picking out the song, being silly – just helping him be a kid.” Andrew and Heather

Planned and unplanned short stays

Short stays are flexible and can vary from one-off emergency situations to a regular arrangement, where you are able to develop an ongoing relationship with the child or young person (like Nicola’s story below).

 

Benefits of short stays

• You could help a child and their foster carers come through a difficult time, by providing extra support and time out for a child when needed.
• You have opportunity to develop your skills and experiences and access the same training and support as full-time foster carers.
• You can make a difference to a local child, whist working or managing other commitments.
• Short stays fostering could help you develop your experience and confidence before progressing to full time fostering.

Who can be a short stays foster carer?

• If you have a spare room, your over 21 and live in Liverpool (or within regular travelling distance) you can foster with Liverpool
• Short stays fostering is possible alongside other full-time roles, but a level of flexibility would be required to need the needs of a child.

Meet our Short Stay Carers

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If you would like to take the next step towards becoming a foster carer, we’d love to hear from you. Complete the form below and we’ll send an information pack and be in touch soon!

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Related links

• Why choose us?
• Support and training
• Meet the carers
• Frequently asked questions
• Get in touch
• Respite carers story - Heather and Andrew
• Starting out - Chris and Amanda's story