Prior to fostering any children, foster carers have to undergo a 6-week training programme, which will prepare them for the event of fostering children. Then once children are placed within their care, the foster carers receive on-going support and monitoring from a social worker of the Fostering Team.

Foster carers, who are officially approved by APPOGG as foster carers, are entitled to a Child in Care Benefit issued by the Department of Social Security. Once this Benefit is issued, any Children’s Allowance paid in respect of that same child will be stopped.

There are various forms of Fostering, namely: – • Respite Fostering – this provides a break for parents, and sometimes children, from continued care. This could be for periodic weekends or a week. • Emergency Fostering – foster carers will be available to take children for one night or a few days until a more permanent arrangement can be made. • Short-Term Fostering – this could last up to 12 weeks. • Intermediate Fostering – this could last up to 2 years, and its aim is to give parents time to sort out practical difficulties, or to protect the child. • Long-Term/Permanent Fostering – this lasts until a child reaches adulthood. It takes the form of ’substitute parenting’ whilst not excluding the family of origin. • Next of Kin Fostering – this happens when the child’s parents themselves identify a member/s of the extended family to become the foster carer/s of the child/ren.