Therapeutic Foster Care: Specialised Support for Children Who Need It Most

For many foster children who have experienced trauma before they came into care, standard fostering may not fully meet their complex needs. That’s where therapeutic foster care comes in. As a specialist type of fostering, therapeutic foster care combines the warmth and stability of a family home with specialist therapeutic services to help very vulnerable children heal from traumatic experiences and develop the skills they need to flourish.

What is Therapeutic Foster Care

Therapeutic foster care is a specialist approach that supports children and young people who have experienced significant trauma, neglect or abuse. Unlike traditional foster care, therapeutic foster carers receive extra training and ongoing support to help them understand and respond to challenging behaviour that often stems from developmental trauma. It’s not just about providing a safe environment, it’s about creating a therapeutic care setting where children can start to process their experiences, develop secure attachments and build positive relationships with trusted adults.

Many foster children coming into therapeutic foster placements have experienced severe disruption prior to coming into care, often multiple moves or severe disruption in their early lives. These traumatic experiences can manifest as difficulties with trust, emotional regulation and forming healthy connections. A therapeutic foster carer has specialist knowledge and resources to help young people navigate these challenges within the safety of a stable home.

The Therapeutic Approach: Key Components

At the heart of therapeutic foster care is a comprehensive therapeutic approach that recognises the impact of trauma on a child or young person’s development. St. David’s Fostering Service, along with other leading fostering agencies, incorporate evidence-based models into its practice. The PACE model—Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy—gives therapeutic foster parents a framework to facilitate healing interactions and help children feel safe enough to start their recovery journey.

Therapeutic foster carers work alongside a multidisciplinary assessment treatment team which may include social workers, child psychotherapists, educational specialists and language therapy professionals. This collaborative approach ensures each child’s individual needs are identified and met through coordinated therapeutic services. The team helps carers reflect on their own thoughts and responses so they can maintain the therapeutic care environment even when faced with challenging behaviour.

Training and Support for Therapeutic Foster Carers

Therapeutic foster carers receive extensive therapeutic foster care training before taking on these placements, and the learning continues throughout their fostering journey. Training courses cover topics such as understanding developmental trauma, recognising trauma responses, managing challenging behaviour, and creating opportunities for healing through everyday interactions. Many programmes also include specialist training in play therapy techniques, attachment theory and strategies for supporting children’s mental health.

The extra level of support provided to therapeutic foster carers recognises the demands of this work. Foster parents typically get regular supervision, consultation with child psychotherapists, extra support during crises and often weeks of paid holiday to prevent burnout. This comprehensive support system means carers have the resources and emotional capacity to offer therapeutic fostering in the long term.

Who is Therapeutic Foster Care for?

Therapeutic foster care is for vulnerable children who need more than a loving family can provide without specialist support. This includes young people who have experienced trauma, severe neglect or abuse and whose behaviour or emotional needs require a therapeutic approach. Many foster children in therapeutic placements have experienced severe disruption before they came into care, including multiple placement breakdowns, which have added to their sense of insecurity and loss.

These very vulnerable children may struggle to form positive relationships, manage emotions, attend school or trust adults. The combination of a therapeutic foster family environment and access to therapy service professionals gives them the best chance to heal and develop the skills they need for a successful transition to adulthood.

What is the Role of Therapeutic Services

Children in therapeutic foster care will have access to various therapeutic services tailored to their individual needs. Play therapy helps younger children process traumatic experiences through age-appropriate means; older young people may engage in more traditional talk therapy. Language therapy supports those whose communication development has been affected by early trauma or neglect. Child psychotherapists work directly with foster children and consult with foster carers to ensure therapeutic interventions are reinforced in daily life.

These therapeutic services don’t exist in isolation; they are integrated into the child’s daily life within the foster family. Therapeutic foster parents learn to facilitate therapeutic moments during daily activities, helping children develop a new understanding of relationships, build a sense of safety and gradually develop the emotional skills they need to thrive.

How to Become a Therapeutic Foster Carer

To become a therapeutic foster carer, you must meet additional requirements beyond standard fostering criteria. You’ll need a spare bedroom and a stable home, but fostering agencies also look for individuals or families with emotional resilience, patience and a willingness to engage with training. Having your own children isn’t a barrier – in fact, positive relationships with other children in the household can support healing – but the whole family must understand and support the therapeutic approach.

The knowledge and skills required develop over time through training, experience and reflection. Therapeutic foster carers must be willing to attend meetings with the multi-disciplinary team, engage in ongoing education and reflect on their practice with openness and curiosity.

Make a Lasting Impact

Therapeutic foster care is a big commitment to support children who have experienced the toughest of life’s challenges. By combining the love and stability of family life with specialist therapeutic care, therapeutic foster parents give vulnerable children the chance to heal, develop secure attachments and build a foundation for a healthier future. If you’re interested in this rewarding but challenging path, St. David’s Fostering Service provides the training and ongoing support to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people who need it most.