Emergency
Foster Care
We are urgently recruiting foster carers to specialise in emergency fostering.
Emergency foster care is about providing immediate support and help to children and young people when they need it most.
A great deal of flexibility is required from our emergency foster carers as there will be minimal notice before the child or young person is placed with you.
If you’re the type of person that can provide support, guidance and care to a child during what will be a very stressful and confusing time for them, then we think you could be the perfect emergency foster carer.
What is Emergency Foster Care?
Many of our short term placements are placed in an emergency. You will not have the opportunity to meet the child or young person beforehand and you have to be ready to accept the child when they arrive. Due to the nature of the emergency, they may be brought to you by a duty social worker or the Police. The child or young person will require additional reassurance and welcome from you.
A great deal of flexibility from our foster carers is required as once you have agreed to a placement they will quickly be placed with you. Emergency fostering usually lasts for a few days while the future plans for the child are made, however it can sometimes lead to a short-term or long-term placement.
TACT also receive referrals for placements outside of office hours and foster carers are asked if they are prepared to take a placement at any time of the day or night.
Emergency Foster Care training
No previous training is necessary to become a foster carer, as full and on-going training will be provided.
As an emergency foster carer, there will be a focus on using your skills to help children feel as settled as possible in a short space of time, using therapeutic and trauma-informed approaches.
Examples of training especially relevant for emergency foster carers would be: Stress Management & Emotional Resilience, Play Therapy and Helping Children Cope with Trauma.
Emergency Foster Care support
As an emergency foster carer with TACT, you will receive support every step of the way. We know how daunting it can be to welcome to young person into your home with minimal notice. This is why we provide a full out-of-hours support service in addition to your allocated Supervising Social Worker. This ensures that support is available to you 24/7.
However, our support is more than just providing ad-hoc help and advise when you most need it. It is a commitment to long term foster carer wellbeing. This is why we organise social events such as meals, walks and meet-ups – in addition to our foster carer support groups.
We have also partnered with other apps such as Calm & Breathways, to create a full 360 support package.
Emergency Foster Care allowance
As an emergency foster carer, you will receive a competitive fostering fee and allowance when you have a young person placed with you. The competitive fee recognises the additional skills and experience you will need to take on this type of fostering.
Fostering is a highly skilled role, and our allowance, expenses and relief payments reflect this.
Could you be an Emergency Foster Carer?
Providing Emergency Foster Care is about being available for young people at a time when they most need it. You could provide an invaluable safe, caring and welcoming home whilst the child’s future interests are being investigated and planned.
If you feel that you could change a child’s life, you can make an enquiry today. Our team of enquiry officers will talk you through the process of becoming a foster carer with TACT. We are a charity, so we place no pressure on anyone to apply and make no profit from the care of young people. Fostering needs to be the right choice for you and your household.
“I’m hugely impressed with how inclusive TACT are.”
Hannah has balanced the needs of her 3 children alongside being a foster carer! Read her story here.
Start Your Fostering Journey
