There are many reasons why children and young people may move on and say goodbye to their foster family:
- to return home to live with their family
- to live with long-term foster carers or to be adopted
- to live in residential care
- to live independently
- to a different foster carer, if the child needs a different type of care.
No matter the circumstances, it can be an emotional time for everyone involved. Foster carers may feel a mixture of emotions - sadness to see a child or young person leave may often be mixed with happiness to see them move on. It is important that foster carers have an opportunity to reflect on endings, possibly with their supervising social worker.
Preparing for change
Foster carers play a crucial role in helping children and young people to prepare for and understand transitions. They can also advocate for children to make sure their wishes and feelings are fully considered.
- Foster carers can help to support transitions, sharing information with the child and others to support the move.
- Children should understand the timeline for any move.
- Foster carers can help by identifying possessions, photos and other important items that a child or young person will want to take with them.
- Arrangements need to be made for any savings that the child has accrued to be available to the child or young person when they move.
- Take time to acknowledge what has worked well and what might have been done differently.
Unplanned Endings
Sometimes, a child may need to move on because foster care, or living with a particular foster family, is not meeting their needs. It can be foster carers, social workers or children themselves who raise this, and this will lead to discussions about future care:
- Social workers may put in additional support to try to avoid children having to move.
- Foster carers should accept that there may be times that they will be unable to provide a child with the care they need. It is important that foster carers are open about their feelings and discuss them with friends, family, other foster carers and with their supervising social worker.
- Local authorities will often need time to plan a move and to make introductions. However, some fostering arrangements can be ended immediately, if there are safeguarding concerns for the child, or other members of the fostering household.
- For long-term fostering arrangements, there will often be a meeting for all involved to reflect on what contributed to the child’s move and learn lessons for the future.
Keeping in touch
- Unless there’s a good reason not to, children and young people who move within and out of the care system should be enabled and supported to maintain their relationships with their former foster families and other people who are significant to them.
- We are campaigning to ensure that all children are enabled to do this, where it is in their best interests. Read more about our Keep Connected campaign.
How we can help foster carers
Training
The Fostering Network can provide a range of training on how to manage children moving on, tailored to meet your service’s needs. Find out more information from our training team.
Our helplines
Our advice lines provide confidential, independent and impartial advice for foster carers in the UK.
This includes access to 24/7 legal advice and Stress Counselling support.