Help a Leeds child blossom your way

Short breaks (mainstream) carers look after children whilst their usual carers aren’t available—or to give them a break. You’ll need to be willing to look after children of different ages and be available typically anywhere from two nights to two weeks.

Some children have to be moved at short notice, sometimes during unsociable hours. Emergency foster carers are there for children for a brief period of time until short term carers are available or until the child is able to return to their family. You’ll need to be able to provide a safe place in an emergency with little notice and be willing to look after children of different ages and needs.

Support carers provide planned short breaks to children living at home with their families. You will help and support a child living at home by providing regular breaks through which children can enjoy a safe and nurturing environment. Children will spend one to three night stays with a support carer every few weeks, and most support care agreements last between six and twelve months.

If you have less time to commit but still want to make a difference then this type of fostering could be for you. You need to be able to foster just one weekend every 6 weeks but could foster more often if you wish. Short breaks offer disabled foster children a new and loving environment where they are able to build their independence and build new relationships.

This can range from a few weeks to two years. As a short term carer, you will provide a safe and secure place for a foster child to live whilst we try to reunite the child with their birth family or find them a long term foster family.

Dom and Steph started their journey started in August 2024, applying as disability short breaks carers, before changing to full-time, short-term carers for children with disabilities.

On fostering, they said: “We love the relationship we have built with our young person. That relationship is everything and it brings us joy every day to see how much progress he is making in all areas.

“People often say that our young person is 'lucky' to be placed with us; but he genuinely enriches our lives just as much, if not, more, than what we do his.”

And on what to say to people considering fostering: “We would say, 'Do it!'. It is undoubtedly the best decision we ever made in our lives. We get to have an amazing young person in our lives, whilst being supported to navigate the trickier times by our social worker.

“Whilst it has never been the driving force behind us going on our fostering journey; the financial support has also meant we can save money, whilst also being able to provide life - enriching activities that our young person deserves. We've already taken him away on two staycations!

“There are so many different types of fostering to consider, something we were unaware of. From emergency, respite breaks or full time; there are options based on how much time you can commit to supporting a young person.

“Of course, there are tricky times but the good out - weighs the bad a thousand times over.”

Jim and Allison have been fostering for just over three years. They currently provide short-term and respite care on a full-time basis, mostly caring for children from birth to 3 years, specialising in NAS babies.

On what they love about fostering, they said: “We only became foster carers after we took early retirement from busy jobs in the corporate world. 

“We have found the experience not only intellectually stimulating (the training is excellent and covers the whole raft of challenges and opportunities that fostering provides on a daily basis) and emotionally rewarding.

“But also, as practising Christians, we feel a moral prerogative to help those in need, striving to be a source of stability and creating a loving and nurturing environment for a child to develop in.”

And on what they would say to anyone considering becoming a foster carer, they say: “If you feel you have room in your heart, in your head and in your home, and could support a child in need, then apply.  

“You will never know if it’s right for you until you embark on the experience, but the assessment was excellent and helped us understand ourselves better and what motivates us.  It mentally prepared us for the journey ahead to look after our little people.  We have no regrets.”