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What are short breaks in fostering?
Short break placements enable parents or carers of children with special needs to have a break from their caring responsibilities or to spend time with their families. They are usually for regular weekends or overnight stays and sometimes for outreach support or day care in between.
Who is it for?
The short breaks foster care service is usually arranged so that children or young people with special needs can stay with the same specific family on a regular basis. This involves the short breaks foster carer working closely with the full-time carer or parent.
Why is it needed?
These breaks can help the long-term stability of a child’s regular placement with carers or family.
Why do it?
By providing short breaks for parents or carers of children with special needs, foster carers make it possible for them to rest and recharge their batteries before resuming their caring duties. The skills, experience and interests of carers are matched with the needs of the children. Those involved in the scheme will often build a strong bond with the youngster and their family over time.
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