Emergency foster care
Emergency foster care provides a vulnerable child with a place to stay when it's not safe for them to stay at home.
What is emergency foster care?
Emergency foster placements are when children and young people need to be placed in temporary foster care, particularly when there’s an immediate risk of harm at home, such as:
- Violence in the home and the child is in danger
- An accident or fire at home
- The child’s parent or guardian has experienced a sudden illness or passed away
In these emergency situations, foster parents provide vulnerable children with somewhere safe to stay and comfort them during these times of uncertainty and distress.
Emergency fostering placements may be required at any time of the day or night. We provide a 24-hour placement service to local authorities, so we’re able to support children and young people in these emergency situations.
What is emergency foster care?
Emergency foster placements are when children and young people need to be placed in temporary foster care, particularly when there’s an immediate risk of harm at home, such as:
- Violence in the home and the child is in danger
- An accident or fire at home
- The child’s parent or guardian has experienced a sudden illness or passed away
In these emergency situations, foster parents provide vulnerable children with somewhere safe to stay and comfort them during these times of uncertainty and distress.
Emergency fostering placements may be required at any time of the day or night. We provide a 24-hour placement service to local authorities, so we’re able to support children and young people in these emergency situations.
How long do emergency foster placements last?
Emergency foster care placements tend to last for a night or two, while social workers assess the child’s family situation and if the circumstances are appropriate, locate family members who may be able to look after the child while the situation is stabilised.
There are some circumstances where an emergency placement may extend into several weeks or months, and even become a longer-term placement if appropriate.
Emergency foster care payments
As an emergency foster parent with ISP, you'll receive payment for each night a child is in your care, with a guaranteed minimum of three nights’ pay, regardless of the child’s length of stay.
You may also decide to support other foster families by providing respite foster care. This gives them a short break from fostering, so they can relax and unwind. Therefore, in addition to the allowance you receive from any emergency foster care that you provide, you could also receive additional income for respite care.
Foster parents receive 22 nights of respite per year, so you could receive up to £1,650 per family that you support – assuming they require their full respite allowance – while playing an important role in supporting the stability of a child in care.
Who can become an emergency foster parent?
Children who need an emergency placement in foster care are often frightened, distressed and anxious. The chaos of the situation is likely to disrupt their stability and affect their behaviour.
Therefore, providing an emergency placement requires foster parents to be flexible, able to respond to an individual child’s needs, and calls for special skills and preparation. There may also be very little information provided about the child and their experience.
In an emergency situation, your night might be interrupted by an emergency call and you must be able to immediately provide a child or siblings with a safe home, unreserved comfort and support, patience and understanding, and a positive sense of security.
How to become an emergency foster parent
The first step to becoming an emergency foster carer is to speak to our team and arrange a home visit – you’ll learn about what we do and the fostering services we offer, and we’ll get to know you a little better too.
If you’re ready to take the next step, you’ll start the application and assessment process. This takes around 4-6 months and includes social work visits, background checks and references, and some initial training too.
Finally, you’ll attend a fostering panel and hopefully receive the good news that you’ve been approved as a foster carer. While the application process may seem a little daunting, applying to become a foster parent may just be one of the best decisions you ever make!
Just starting to think about fostering?
Our Introduction to Fostering guide is the perfect place to start. Download it today and discover the world of fostering.
Other types of fostering
As well as emergency foster care, there are a number of different types of foster care placements.
Please make sure you read our terms and conditions because you're agreeing to them by submitting an enquiry. It's also worth reading our privacy policy and cookies policy so you understand how we collect and use your personal data.