What are the different types of fostering?

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Mother and Baby

It is recognised by professionals that if a baby is separated from it’s mother for any length of time, it can have a detrimental effect.

Therefore Local Authorities who have concerns regarding the ability of a mother to meet the needs of her baby will prefer to place mother and baby together in a foster home for a period of time to assess the situation.

The role of the foster carer in such circumstances is to oversee the safety of the baby whilst providing encouragement and advice to the baby’s mother, enhancing her ability to parent and building on her relationship with her child.

Foster carers make significant contributions, through their observation and recordings, to the assessment of the mother’s parenting skills and relationship with her baby. Providing a placement for a mother and her baby is unique.

Whilst the safety of the child is of paramount concern, the carer also supports the mother.

Sometimes a decision is reached that mother and baby should be separated permanently and the carer may be asked to keep the baby until he/she is adopted. However often the outcome is that the mother and baby move on to their own family home together.

Case Study: Mother & Baby Placement

Jess, a 24 year old woman with learning difficulties and her new born daughter, Marie were placed with a single female foster carer, Sarah, for a 12 week assessment period. This enabled the mother and daughter to maintain a good bond while being assessed.

Sarah’s ability to balance all these differing needs and to facilitate contact in the foster home with Jess’s extended family ensured Marie had a warm and safe start to life with her mother.