At Foster Birmingham, we recognise that fostering is both incredibly rewarding and sometimes overwhelming. Support Foster Carers provide short-term care for children and young people, giving their full-time foster carers a much-needed break. This might be for a weekend, a few days during the school holidays or in response to a specific situation where the main carers need to attend to other responsibilities.
What Do Support Foster Carers Do?
Support Foster Carers welcome children into their homes on a temporary basis. Their role includes:
- Working closely with the full-time foster carers: This is to maintain consistency and continuity for the child.
- Being flexible and responsive: Often stepping in at short notice depending on the needs of the foster family.
- Consistency for children: Support Fostering provides a child with continuity and comfort during transitions.
- Wellbeing for foster carers: Taking a break can help primary foster carers avoid burnout and maintain the energy and compassion the role requires.
- Contribution to the system: It’s a way to contribute meaningfully to fostering, even if your situation doesn’t allow for full-time care.
For many children, these stays are like mini-breaks or holidays, giving them new experiences in a different setting, while their primary foster carers get time to rest and regroup.
A Conversation with Julie, a Support Foster Carer in Birmingham
We spoke to Julie, one of our experienced Support Foster Carers, about what her role involves. She has supported foster families across Birmingham and believes the role is a crucial part of making fostering work for everyone involved.
Julie and her partner stepped into fostering with the aim of helping children and young people and their unique experience led them to discover a different way to help. They decided to put their training and passion to good use by offering to become support foster carers.
Julie explains that flexibility is key, and each child is different. “You don’t always know what the weekend will look like, but you learn to be adaptable,” she says.
“We can’t foster full-time, and we can’t take children over two, so this is the only thing we can do and we thought well, let’s do what we can to support children.”
Julie recalls supporting a baby for over two weeks while the full-time carer took a pre-booked holiday. But rather than a sudden handover, they took time to FaceTime the child, visit in advance with their own children, and keep in contact with the foster carer throughout the stay.
“We try to make it like a little holiday for them. We get to meet the child first, we get all the details, we send photos, and we talk to the foster carers regularly while they’re away.”
When asked why others should consider becoming a Support Foster Carer Julie says:
“It’s lovely to be able to give back to foster carers who look after these children full-time and it’s nice to give them a little break.”
Why Support Foster Carers Matter
By stepping in temporarily, Support Foster Carers help prevent any placement breakdowns and ensure foster carers feel supported and sustained. At Foster Birmingham, we value every kind of foster carer and support carers like Julie, who play an important part in creating a compassionate fostering system.
Could You Be a Support Foster Carer?
Whether you’re working full-time, have limited space, or simply want to give back in a flexible way, this role offers a powerful way to make a difference.
If you would like to find out more about becoming a Support Foster Carer, call our friendly team today on 0121 303 7575, or enquire online.
