Respite Foster Care
Respite foster care provides short breaks for foster families by offering temporary care to children already placed within our agency. These planned breaks—ranging from a single night to a weekend or short holiday—help support the wellbeing of both the child and their primary foster carers. Respite carers offer a safe, nurturing environment where children can feel secure and enjoy new experiences, while their regular carers take time to rest and recharge. It’s a flexible and rewarding way to make a difference, especially if you’re looking to foster part-time while supporting vulnerable children within your local community.
Benefits of respite fostering
While being a foster carer can be extremely rewarding, every once in a while a break is required to allow foster carers to replenish their energy. For you as a respite foster carer, you make this vital rest for both carers and their foster children possible, making your job very important not to mention incredibly worthwhile.
Also, for anyone considering becoming a short-term or long-term foster carer, respite fostering can give you a unique perspective on how fostering works. You’ll gain insights on the kind of qualities needed to become a foster carer, and your confidence will grow with each child you care for.
Many respite foster carers also enjoy the ‘holiday’ feeling aspect of respite fostering, in that foster children can have a wonderful experience during their short time with you. This can offer instant satisfaction, especially as even a small amount of time can create a hugely positive difference to children and their carers.
Finally, respite fostering is also beneficial for those who cannot commit to longer term fostering, but still want to make a difference to children and their foster carers who are in need.
What is respite foster care?
Respite foster care provides a short break for full-time foster parents from their caregiving responsibilities. During this time, the foster child stays with a respite foster family who is trained to provide a safe and nurturing environment.
The length of care can last anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks, depending on the needs of foster parents and the child. Respite care is designed to prevent burnout and support the ongoing well-being of both foster parents and the children in their care.
How to become a respite foster parent
For short-term foster parents or long-term foster parents, the process of becoming a respite foster carer is the same. You can find out more about the assessment process here.
During the assessment process, professional training and background checks will be required. We will support you throughout the entire process, including by providing home visits, so that you will be best equipped for your new role.
Who can become a respite foster carer?
If you want to become a respite foster carer you must meet the following criteria:
- You must be over the age of 21.
- You must be in good health, both physically and mentally.
- You must have a spare room in your home that can be used for the child to stay in.
- Your employment status does not influence your application, however, you must have time and resources to provide respite care when needed.
Droitwich Office
Severn House, 30 – 32 Ombersley Street West,
Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire,
WR9 8QZ
Stoke-on-Trent Office
3-5 Vale Street,
Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire,
ST4 7LR
Respite Fostering Payments
All our foster carers benefit from having a fostering allowance. During the whole stay, the respite foster parent receives an allowance which is calculated based on the number of foster children in your care and their age.
You can refer to our fostering allowance calculator to understand your income as a foster parent.
New to Fostering?
Read all our fostering FAQs for a better understanding of the process and benefits of a foster carer.
