Fostering Babies

Interested in fostering babies? Our comprehensive guide to fostering babies answers all of your questions, from ‘can you foster babies?’ to ‘why are babies taken into care?’. We also discuss different types of foster placements to ensure you have all the information you need to start your fostering journey.

Can you Foster Babies?

Yes, you can foster babies. However, the number of babies in foster care is significantly lower than other age categories. According to Government reports, only 6% of children in public care are under a year old. So, whilst there is a demand for fostering babies, it’s important to preface, there are fewer infants within the care system. Why? Because babies and young children are more likely to be placed with family members or relatives before they are placed in foster care.

Why are Babies taken into Foster Care?

When babies are taken into foster care, it’s usually because the biological parents are unable to care for the child.  In some instances, the parents may voluntarily place the child into care, whilst in others, local authorities may have intervened.

Some of the reasons babies are placed into foster care include:

• Neglect - if the baby has received insufficient care and/or undergone emotional or physical abuse.
• Substance abuse - if the biological parents suffer from drug or alcohol abuse preventing them from being able to care for the baby.
• Awaiting adoption – if the baby has been given up for adoption, thee is often a period between the relinquishment of the baby and the adoptive parents stepping in.

Foster Placements for Babies

Usually, when babies are put into foster care, they are placed on short term placements whilst they wait for adoption. So, as a foster carer for babies, you’re likely to experience various short-term placements. However, in some cases, babies may need to be removed from their biological parents as quickly as possible. In this instance, the placement will fall under emergency foster care.

To learn more about fostering babies, read our guide to fostering babies or  get in touch with a member of our helpful team to begin the foster care application process.

Parent and Child Foster Placements

As we mentioned previously, where possible, local authorities will do their best to try and keep parents and babies together (if it’s safe to do so). So, at FosterCare UK, we offer parent and child foster placements, where the mother, father, or in some cases both parents, are placed in foster care alongside their baby.

This type of foster placement is very different to fostering babies, as it involves caring for both the parent and child. In turn, it requires specialist foster care training and support. However, expressing an interest in parent and child fostering is also the most reliable way to foster a baby, as these placements are designed to support parents with young children.  

Other Types of Foster Placements

As there’s no way to guarantee the age of your foster child, it’s important to explore other types of fostering. Some of which include:

• Long term fostering - otherwise known as permanent fostering, this involves caring for a child for an extended period of time.
• Respite Fostering – this short term placement is designed to provide other foster carers respite from their current placements.
• Therapeutic Fostering - specialist placements for children with complex needs.

Each placement requires a different set of skills. Therefore, each placement receives a different level of renumeration. To learn more, read our article, How much do Foster Carers get Paid?

How to Become a Foster Carer

If you’re interested in learning how to become a foster carer, FosterCare UK has you covered. Whilst you cannot choose which child is placed in your care, we will make the process as easy as possible, working to find the most suitable placement for your unique personality and skillset.

For more information about our fostering recruitment process or information on fostering babies, get in touch with a member of our expert team today.