Remand Fostering

Remand fostering is a specialist type of fostering which requires the care of children who have been arrested and are waiting for sentencing. By offering a remand foster placement, the child has the opportunity to avoid being placed into custody. In fact, it is for this reason that children who are placed into remand foster care are expected to be on their best behaviour – if the placement isn’t successful, the child risks being placed into custody. 

It should also be noted that a significant number of children who have experienced adversity in childhood get involved in crime and end up in prisons because they didn’t have appropriate support and boundaries when they were younger. Remand foster carers have the opportunity to turn around the life of a young person who is at a critical crossroad of their life. It is an exceptional opportunity to help to turn around the life of a young person who may otherwise struggle further if they continue to be involved in criminal behaviour.

Remand foster carers are expected to have some experience of caring for challenging children; they need to have very good availability and they should be happy to attend regular training and meetings. Remand foster carers would also need to have excellent record keeping skills, be happy to learn about the criminal justice system and be prepared to speak with criminal justice system professionals when required to.

As with any challenging and/or specialist placement, remand foster carers receive a higher level of training, more support and a higher allowance. There is a shortage of remand foster carers, so anyone who is willing and able to become a remand foster carer is likely to receive regular placements.