Planning a holiday with a child in care is a little bit more complicated than planning a holiday for your own children.
In short
Foster carers need to agree holidays well in advance with the supervising social worker and the local authority, get the right consent before applying for a passport, plan around family contact, choose accommodation that keeps routines in place, and prepare the child for the trip beforehand.
Get Permission Early
An overnight stay at a different address requires prior agreement with the foster carer’s supervising social worker and with the local authority holding parental responsibility for the child. This needs to be agreed several weeks in advance of the proposed leave.
Sort the Passport Carefully
Foster carers cannot apply for a child’s passport until appropriate consent has been given by the relevant people. Often the local authority holds parental responsibility for a child in care, and the foster carer needs its permission before applying for a passport for the child.
Work Around Contact Schedules
When booking a holiday, foster carers must ensure that the holiday does not conflict with contact with the child’s parents or wider family and that the appropriate people have been informed and given consent.
Choose Accommodation Thoughtfully
Most foster carers find that self-catering is far better than hotels for the looked-after children in their care. This is because the children can stick to their normal routine for meals and bedtime.
Prepare the Child Beforehand
A week or two before you go, explain to the child what is going to happen on the trip, for example by making a simple visual timetable and talking it through with them. There is more on Foster Care Neath at https://saferfostering.org.uk/foster-care-wales/neath/.
Planning ahead of a holiday means that it can be a real treat for a child in care. You can read more about the support available for foster carers in our earlier article.
FAQs
Can foster carers take a child abroad on holiday?
Often, yes, but it depends on the child’s legal status and any court orders in place, so speak to the supervising social worker as early as possible. Travel abroad usually needs more consent and more notice than a holiday in the UK.
Who pays for a foster child’s holiday?
It varies between fostering services. Some include an amount for holidays in the fostering allowance and others handle it differently, so ask your service how holiday costs are covered before you book.
Can a foster child go on holiday during term time?
Term-time holidays are rarely authorised by schools, and the same rules apply to children in care. Plan trips for the school holidays wherever you can, and talk to the school and social worker if there is a special reason.
What if the child is anxious about going away?
Some children in care find change unsettling. Shorter trips, familiar comforts from home and plenty of warning can help, and the social worker may be able to suggest other ways to support them.