Types of fostering

2. Permanence / long term

Sometimes children are not able to return to live with their families after assessments are completed. If the court decides that a child would be best placed to live with a fostering family in the long term this will mean that the child stays until they are eighteen years.

You can already be caring for a child under task centred and then progress onto caring for them on a permanent basis. You can also be matched permanently to a child before they are placed with you.

 Permanent placements are agreed by the professionals around the child:

• child's allocated social worker
• independent reviewing officer
• foster carer
• supervising social worker

The views of the child and their parents are also considered. The agreement of permanence is then considered by senior managers to make sure that this is a good match for the child and the fostering family.