What is respite fostering?

Respite fostering, sometimes known as ‘stayover’ fostering, is a very short (less than a fortnight) stay for a child whose regular foster carer needs additional support. Children’s longer-term foster carers may need respite support because the family is going abroad (and is unable to take the child), has other commitments, or they need a short break because they’re struggling to meet the support needs of the child.

At Sparks Fostering, we avoid sending children to live with strangers because we consider it to be institutionalised and unhealthy for the child to be moved again. Therefore, we encourage our foster carers to help the child to build relationships with extended family and friends; when respite/stayover care is needed, the child can stay with a family member that they like, or if the family member is going abroad, the family member (or family friend) can move into the fostering home for the duration of respite support. By doing this, the child continues to be treated as a member of the family.

Some providers, particularly local authorities, will recruit fostering families who only offer respite care. Independent fostering providers typically don’t recruit respite-only foster carers. At Sparks Fostering we don’t take respite-only carers because we don’t have enough of a need for this type of care.