Caring for a disabled child

Some children in foster care may have physical or learning disabilities or a combination of special needs, while others may have life threatening conditions. All need extra special love, care and attention.

If you choose to provide foster care for disabled children you need to be willing to work closely with a range of medical staff and other professionals to support and enable the child or young person to reach his or her full potential.

Shared Care
Sometimes foster carers offer to 'share' the care of a disabled child or young person with the child’s own family.

Shared care aims to provide regular short term breaks for children with disabilities and their families by linking them with carers who look after the child for perhaps a weekend a month. This gives the child the opportunity to widen their horizons and experience by spending some time with different people in a new environment. It also allows parents some time to relax or spend time with their other children knowing their child is happy and well cared for.