Your home, their future. Fours pairs of shoes varying in size from adult to baby

Enquire now for more information about fostering

Enquire now for more information and we will call or email you.

Enquire now

Respite fostering

Respite fostering is where you provide a short period of care to children who live with other foster carers.

After careful planning to identify a good match, you could provide care during the day, overnight, for a weekend or longer if needed, on a schedule to suit you, the child and the foster family.

There is the opportunity to provide regular respite for the same child, or children, for a long period. Over time, you'll learn their likes and interests, and share new experiences together.

These breaks allow the child's foster carers to take a break and recharge. It also gives the child the opportunity to have new experiences and build good relationships with other adults.

You'll build meaningful, long-term relationships, enrich both of your lives, and support both the child and their foster carers.

Why become a respite foster carer

As well as our normal benefits, respite foster carers will:

Two people high-fiving inside a yellow circle

 

Make a difference to a child and family in Herefordshire.

 

Calendar with a tick inside a yellow circle

 

Foster flexibly on a schedule that suits you, the child and the foster family.

 

Hand holding a gift inside a yellow circle

 

Receive a 100% Council Tax exemption.

 

A heart with 2 arrows around it inside a yellow circle

 

Build fulfilling, long-term relationships that enrich your life.

 

Who can provide respite fostering

Over 21s of any background, relationship status, sexual orientation, working status, or faith can provide respite foster care. You just need:

  • A desire to make a difference and develop as a foster carer
  • A spare bedroom in stable accommodation
  • No child-related convictions
  • Some childcare experience

Transferring your childcare skills into this very rewarding role might allow you to step back from full-time work.

What it's like being a respite foster carer

"Not only do we have the chance to make a difference to the children placed with us but each child enriches our own lives a little bit more."

Find out more about taking the first steps into respite fostering by reading David and Michelle's story

Fees

You could be paid upwards of £100 with an additional £50 activities payment per weekend.

How to apply

How to apply and the fostering process