Long-term foster care is when a looked after child lives with a foster carer, and the plan is for them to stay with that foster carer until they leave care.
Not all children who cannot return to their birth family are adopted. For many, long-term foster care offers the best option for permanence and stability. A long-term foster carer can be a kinship foster carer or an unrelated foster carer.
Children’s services should also identify what support and services will need to be provided. Proper support will help to make sure the placement is stable and secure and meets the child’s needs, so that it will be sustainable long-term.