Short break fostering provides an opportunity for children to spend time with the same approved foster carer on a number of different occasions, enjoying new and different experiences alongside those provided by their primary caregiver. As the name suggests, short break fostering is also designed to provide a parent, guardian or full-time foster carer with a chance to recharge their batteries, take a short break from caring, and/or spend time with other children in their household.
Short break fostering is usually offered by a local authority in relation to children with a disability, but it may be offered to other groups of children.
A short break foster carer usually provides planned breaks in accordance with a child’s care plan, often at weekends weekends or during school holidays. A short break foster carer may provide short term care to more than one child, depending on their availability and the children's needs. Their terms of approval will specify how many children they can care for at any one time. For example, a short break foster carer with approval for one child may be linked to two children, but care for them on different weekends each month.
