Parent and child fostering (sometimes previously referred to as “mother and baby” placements) is a type of fostering where we welcome a parent and their baby or child into our home at the same time, so they can stay together while extra support or assessments take place. It isn’t always just a mum and baby; sometimes a dad is placed too, and in some situations, both parents will live in the placement with their child(ren). Often the parent is a young person (sometimes under 18) who may be looked after themselves, and occasionally the placement begins during pregnancy, so we can help them prepare for the baby’s arrival.

The aim is to give the child a safe, stable home while helping the parent develop the confidence and practical skills needed to care safely and move towards independence. Some placements are primarily supportive, where we coach day-to-day parenting and life skills such as cooking, cleaning, budgeting and routines. Other placements involve more formal assessment of parenting capacity, where we may need to step in more directly to care for the child at times, while guiding the parent and observing how they cope. In every case, we balance support with clear boundaries, always keeping the child’s welfare at the centre.

Day to day, parent and child fostering feels different from caring for a child alone because there’s another adult living in the household. That means we’re building a working relationship with the parent, modelling healthy routines, supporting their self-esteem and social skills, and helping them process any trauma they’ve experienced, while still maintaining a calm, safe environment for the baby or child. We also contribute to professional processes: keeping clear, factual records, feeding into assessments, and sharing information with the social worker and, where required, the Court.

Placements commonly last around 12 weeks, though they can be extended if the Court agrees more time is needed for support or to complete assessments.

Our parent and child fostering service sits alongside a wider range of placements, including short-term respite foster care, specialist support for unaccompanied asylum seeking children, and siblings foster care to keep family bonds strong.