Long-term fostering, also known as permanent foster care, provides children and young people with the stability, security, and sense of belonging they need to thrive. It is an important type of foster care for those who are unable to return to live with their birth family and for whom adoption is not possible or appropriate. At St. David's Fostering Service, we are proud to support children and foster carers, as well as local authorities, as a leading fostering service in Cardiff and across South Wales.
What is long-term fostering?
Long-term fostering, also known as long-term foster care or permanent fostering, is a type of fostering where a child or young person is placed with the same foster family for an extended period. This usually happens when a child is unable to return to their birth family and needs a secure, stable foster home, often until the child reaches adulthood at the age of 18, and sometimes beyond through arrangements such as ‘staying put’.
Benefits to long term fostering include providing continuity of care. A foster parent or long term foster carer becomes a consistent, trusted adult in the child’s life, offering care for the child within a stable family setting. Unlike short-term foster care placements, which are temporary, long term foster care focuses on permanence, routine, and long-term relationships.
Why some children need long-term foster care
Children in long-term foster care often have complex needs. They may be children in care who have experienced instability, loss, or disruption and need specialist care and a nurturing environment. Long-term fostering allows the child to develop a strong sense of belonging within a family and build lasting attachments.
This type of care plan is usually agreed when professionals, including the local authority, determine that returning to their birth family is not possible and adoption is not the right path. Long-term fostering and adoption are different, both in terms of legal responsibility and legal rights. In long term foster care, the local authority or birth parent usually retains legal responsibility for the child, while the foster carer provides day-to-day care and emotional support.
Long-term fostering vs adoption
Many people ask about the differences between long-term fostering and adoption. Fostering vs adoption can feel complex, but the key distinction is permanence and legal status. Adoption involves an adoptive parent taking full legal responsibility for the child, with contact with their birth family usually limited or ending altogether.
In contrast, long-term fostering allows the child to maintain contact with their birth family where appropriate. This ongoing connection can be essential for emotional well-being. Fostering offers stability and continuity for children who are unable to return home but still need those connections.
The role of a long-term foster parent
Becoming a long term foster parent or long-term foster carer means caring for a child or young person over many years. Fostering means being there for everyday milestones, like school life, friendships, challenges, and achievements. It means caring for children as part of your family and supporting young people in care as they move towards independence and leaving care.
Long term foster carers work closely with fostering agencies and supervising professionals to follow the child’s care plan. At St. David’s Fostering Service, every foster carer is supported by an experienced supervising social worker, ensuring they have the guidance, training, and emotional support needed to care for children in long-term placements.
Becoming a foster carer with St. David’s
Becoming a foster carer or becoming a foster parent for long term fostering is a significant commitment, but one that brings lasting rewards. You don’t need to be a “typical” family; many foster families come in different shapes and sizes. What matters is that you can provide a secure and stable home and meet the child’s individual needs.
St. David’s Fostering Cardiff supports people at every stage of the journey, from those exploring becoming a foster, through assessment and approval, to placement and beyond. We are proud to support current foster carers across Cardiff and South Wales, offering a community built on shared values and experience.
Allowance, support, and benefits of long term fostering
Foster carers receive a fostering allowance designed to support the cost of caring for a foster child and recognise the responsibility involved. Long-term foster carers benefit from consistent placements, strong relationships with the child and professionals, and a clear long-term care plan.
The benefits of long term fostering go beyond financial support. Many foster parents speak about the deep connections formed with children and young people in their care, the joy of seeing them grow in confidence, and the privilege of being part of their lives over many years.
Making a lasting difference
Long term fostering provides children in long-term care with the chance to grow up in a loving, supportive foster home. It allows a child or young person to feel valued, secure, and part of a family, even when they cannot live with their birth family.
If you would like to foster a child, learn more about long term fostering, or explore different types of fostering, please get in touch with St. David’s Fostering Service. Our team is here to answer your questions and support you in taking the next step towards giving a child the stable future they deserve.