Children with disabilities

This type of fostering deals with children with autism, learning difficulties, physical disabilities, or other types of complex needs.

These children require specialist care, so foster carers interested in this type of placement will have to undergo specific training to equip you with the appropriate skills.

What you get from fostering a child with disabilities

Foster carers looking after disabled children do not need any specific experience, although if you do have skills in caring for children or adults with learning and/or physical disabilities, this will help when caring for these children.

A love of children and young people and the motivation and commitment to help them achieve their potential is important. As part of your role you are likely to need to support personal care alongside high levels of learning and emotional needs.

To reflect the additional complex needs of children placed, in addition to the usual fostering allowances, contract carers also receive an additional enhanced weekly fee when they have a child placed with them.

Link care

This is a way of giving support to the parents and families of children with disabilities.

Link carers open up their homes so that children can meet new people, make new friends, experience different surroundings and grow in confidence.

Link carers provide parents with short break care. These breaks can be for a few days, a weekend or perhaps over the school holidays. They also give the parents of children with disabilities a chance to catch up with their families, have a break from caring and see their children flourish in a secure and safe environment.

These children are often not in care and still living with their birth families. You will become part of the support to that particular family.

Contract care

Contract foster care and disability contract care are our most specialist fostering schemes. Contract foster care provides family based care for young people aged 10 to 18 years.

To reflect the additional complex needs of children placed, in addition to the usual fostering allowances, contract carers also receive an additional enhanced weekly fee when they have a child placed with them.

Children and young people in these schemes have complex needs, requiring a higher level of understanding, support and guidance.

Young people will have experienced some or all of the following:

• family or current foster or adoption placement breakdown
• cannot be accommodated within mainstream foster care due to their exceptional needs
• require a placement where they are the only or youngest child in the family
• would otherwise be accommodated outside of Derbyshire
• may be remanded into local authority care by the courts
• may be very vulnerable in the community and behave in ways which may present a danger to themselves or others