How Respite Care makes a Lasting Impression

You know that you would be a great foster carer, but you are not in a position to provide full-time support: become a bridge of care as a respite caregiver!

Respite care is a short-term or temporary placement for foster children, ranging from a day to a few weeks. The short interval gives full-time foster carers a chance to recharge and focus on their own self-care. Regular time off is essential for foster carers: it prevents burnout, ensuring longevity and quality of foster care. 

There is a common misconception that short-term care gives less opportunity to bond with a young person, or somehow it doesn't hold as much value as longer placements.

Nothing could be further from the truth; do you remember anyone in your early life that perhaps you only saw occasionally, but who widened your understanding of the world? I used to sweep the garden of an elderly neighbour when I was around 10 years old. His world of lace curtains, neat vegetable beds and brightly coloured Formica kitchen was so different from that of my own chaotic family. My occasional encounters with my neighbour helped me to trust other adults – and trust new environments too. His kindness has remained with me for life.

The most fleeting of encounters can alter the whole course of who you become. Nurturing new environments deepens a young person’s trust - and trust is built by lots of positive experiences, not just one.

It can be a day, or it can be weeks, but giving respite care gifts you with a sense of fulfilment. It widens your sense of community as you join the Blue Sky family. Along with excellent fostering pay, we offer training and development to expand your knowledge of child development and trauma-informed care, whilst building skills in communication, patience, problem-solving, and empathy.

Are you unable to commit to full-time foster care, but want to give something back and help foster children? Then please, consider enquiring about offering respite care. You will be supporting the carers and the young people. And you may discover that giving in this way doesn’t just work as a lifeline for others but also brings new positivity into your own life.

Please enquire to discover more about respite care.