Mainstream fostering
Children requiring mainstream foster care can be between the ages of 0 and 18. When a child is first looked after by our Children’s Services, it is not always clear how long they might need foster care for. The majority of new Foster Carers begin as mainstream carers, to support children while work is done to assess and plan for their future. This could be a matter of weeks, months, or in some cases up to a couple of years. Sometimes our Foster Carers work with a child to help them return to their birth family or move on to a more long-term arrangement.
When a child is not able to return to live with their birth family, and adoption is not the most appropriate option, a long-term foster placement may be sought, where experienced carers commit to care for the child until they reach adulthood, referred to as ‘permanency’.
Our mainstream Foster Carers receive comprehensive training, professional support and a competitive financial package of up to £30k to help them support a child in their care. More information about these benefits can be found in the Why foster with us page.
fostering a teenager
Fostering older children
Did you know that two thirds of the children we care for are aged between 11 and 17? That means that right now in West Sussex, there are over 600 children in this age group in care and we urgently need more Foster Carers willing to open their hearts and homes to them. Find out more about how you could transform a young person’s life by visiting our fostering older children page.
