What happens in emergency placement?

Emergency foster care provides a safe place for a vulnerable child to stay when staying at home is unsafe. In times of emergency, children and teenagers must be temporarily placed in foster care, mainly if there is a significant risk of harm at home, such as:

A domestic violence incident, a house fire, or the sudden illness or death of the child's parent or guardian are all potential threats to the child.

Foster parents provide at-risk children a safe place to live and support during these trying and uncertain times. Any time of day or night, arrangements for emergency foster care may be required. We can assist children and adolescents in these critical situations by offering a 24-hour placement service to local authorities. Social workers look for family members who may be able to care for the child. At the same time, the situation stabilizes during emergency foster care placements, which typically last one or two nights. A temporary arrangement made in response to an emergency might last for a few weeks, months, or even longer if necessary. 

Most foster parents will not be required to pay National Insurance because their profit from fostering is likely below the threshold. To remain eligible for future state benefits like retirement pensions, employment support allowances (ESA), and job seeker's allowances, some individuals may continue to pay Class 2 National Insurance.

Fostering income ought to be independent of means-tested benefits because it is not considered when determining eligibility for benefits like housing allowance and income support.

Children who need to be placed in foster care right away are frequently anxious, scared, and upset. The craziness of the situation will affect their behaviour and stability. As a result, foster parents must be flexible, able to meet the needs of each child, and prepared to provide an emergency placement. In addition, more information about the child and their experiences must be provided. Even in the middle of the night, you might get a call about an emergency. You must be prepared to give a child or siblings a secure home, unrestricted love and support, tolerance and understanding, and a sense of security right away. 

The first steps to becoming an emergency foster carer are speaking with our staff and scheduling a home visit. You will learn about our fostering services and our work during this time, and we will get to know you better. The application and evaluation process will start when you are ready to proceed. Basic training, background checks, and social work visits are all part of this process, which takes about four to six months. Finally, you will participate in a UK Fostering fostering panel and, best case scenario, find out whether or not you have been accepted as a foster carers. Despite how intimidating the application process may seem, being a foster parent might be one of your best options.