Doncaster offers different types of fostering. These 'schemes' are designed around the various needs of the children and young people who are in care. Foster carers can specify which scheme they feel best suits their family, lifestyle and experience.
Task carers provide short term placements for children of all ages, generally completing a 'task' for each of the children in their care. This could include working with a child until they are able to return home to their parents, moving them on to adoption or preparing an older child to leave care and live independently. This is the most frequent type of care required and can last from a few nights to a few years depending on the child's needs.
Task carers often look after children when they first come into care and help them understand and make sense of what has happened in their life. They may be distressed or confused about being taken away from their home and parents. Task carers offer support and help make this transition as smooth and easy as possible, as for many of these children it may be the first time that they are away from home. Wherever possible, you as a Task carer will help the child maintain contact with their parents throughout their stay with you.
Some children are unable to return to live with their parents, but because of their age or because they need to maintain links with their family, adoption would not be in their best interest. These children need a long term placement with a permanent foster carer who can provide security, stability, consistency and loving care for a specific child for the rest of their childhood and beyond.
Respite carers provide planned short term breaks for children and young people of all ages. This care provides relief for parents or other carers, usually for a few nights or over a weekend.
Care to Share carers offer planned respite placements for children with disabilities. For a parent of a child with disabilities, caring for them can sometimes be tiring and parents may need a break. Families and children with disabilities are matched with care to share carers who can provide them with a break from caring. Carers usually look after children on a planned basis for a few nights or over a weekend.
Care to share benefits the child, who will make new friends and have fun and also offers the parents some time to relax and spend time with other members of their family, knowing that their child is being well looked after.
Sometimes children are taken into care during the night or over a weekend and will need somewhere to stay in an emergency. Emergency carers are 'on call' and will take children of all ages during these times until a planned foster placement can be found. Emergency carers have to be willing to take children of all ages, of whom little may be known.
Remand carers offer short term placements to young people who are involved with the police. Carers maintain the conditions of the bail, like keeping to curfews or attending court appearances.Kinship carers provide care to children who are born within their family. When a child is taken 'into care', where suitable, attempts are made to place the child with a family member. When this occurs, the carer has to be assessed like any other carer, but are approved as foster carers specifically for the child that they are looking after. For the child, living with a family member is obviously going to limit distress and therefore can be a positive outcome for all concerned.
