Parent and child fostering can the mother or father, who may be experiencing difficulties, and their baby or young child being placed together in foster care.
Parent and child fostering, also known as mother and baby fostering, is a type of fostering placement which involves taking care of a parent (usually a young mother) and her baby in a foster care environment. This is to provide extra support and guidance to the parent during the first few stages of becoming a parent and having another person to look after, as well as themselves.
Parent and child placements are needed as they support a new parent who might be having difficulties looking after their new baby. Often, these parents may have been in care themselves – or have not experienced great parenting. As a parent and child foster carer, your role is to act as an experienced parental figure to help guide the young mother to become a better parent.
In some cases, the parent in the parent and child fostering placement may have a learning difficulty or mental health challenges, which can cause them to have difficulties understanding how to become a parent.
A parent and child assessment will be undertaken during the parent and child’s stay with the foster family. Taking place over a 3 month period, this will assess the parent’s capabilities of caring for their child. A parent and child foster carer will be specially trained to facilitate this assessment, as well as being trained extensively in Observation and Recording.
There will be regular reviews every two weeks on the relationship between the parent and the child, and the 6-8 week point marks an interim report – detailing how well the parent is performing in the assessment. A final report will be created within two weeks after the 12 week mark, with detailed recommendations of how to proceed.
Find out more about parent and child assessments from our detailed guide.
Here at FosterCare UK, we offer unwavering support and extensive training every step of your fostering journey, in order to help you become the best foster carer you can be. Our parent and child foster placements also provide:
For more information about our parent and child foster care placements, get in touch with a member of our friendly team here at FosterCare UK. Alternatively, learn more about our different types of fostering placements available.
If you’ve got any questions or would like to find out more about fostering with FosterCare UK, fill out the form below.
An experienced fostering advisor from your local area will then be in touch.
Start the conversation today. Our team of friendly advisors are on hand to answer any foster care questions you may have. We can offer you honest and practical advice that can help you decide if becoming a foster carer is the right path for you.