Our children across Rhondda Cynon Taf need more people who can care on a part-time basis.
As the saying goes raising children takes a village and we recognise that everyone in that village has a part to play in shaping our children’s future. Both children who are in care and those at risk of being in care need safe loving adults to play their part in supporting their childhood and influencing their future.
Being a foster carer doesn’t always mean supporting a child on a full time or a long-term basis. Sometimes our children and families need a nurturing environment for short breaks, sleepovers and emergency situations.
We recognise that we have people in our communities who have the skills and attributes to change children’s lives but may not always be able to commit to a child full time. By improving our financial and support package in RCT for ‘Support Carers’ we hope to encourage more people across RCT to come forward with the experiences and skills our children and families may need.
Our support care service allows people to foster on a flexible basis and gives families the opportunity to have additional help from a foster carer when they need it.
This includes support for families in the community on the edge of care, children in need of additional help due to limiting conditions and maintaining stability within fostering, kinship and adopted families.
A support carer may be expected to step in to
- Support other foster carers to attend training or other planned events
- Help in emergency situations such as a medical emergency
- Work alongside full-time foster or adoptive families to offer regular breaks and become a part their wider circle of support
- Help families in our communities where children have disabilities and additional need so both the child and their family benefit from regular weekends of support
- Support families where children may be at risk of needing care, offering respite and emotional support
The hope from the initiative is to increase stability for children in a number of different families, give children a range of different adults to feel safe around and to learn from, and to encourage a wider range of people to come forward and share their support and love for our communities’ children.
Shan and Steff Roberts, Foster Wales RCT foster carers, said: “Over the last few months we have been able to provide lots of support for other foster families across RCT and it has been lovely to meet and build relationships with the children and foster carers.
"We are pleased to be able to part of a wider circle of support for everyone involved. We have 2 birth children, aged 41 and 40 - the youngest and his wife fostered for seven years, of which we played a big part.
"We provide regular short breaks anything from a night up to two weeks to the same children, but also as and when needed. Lots of children ask to come back to us. We have also done emergency care.”
Councillor Gareth Caple, Cabinet Member for Social Care, said: “Support care allows people to foster on a short-term flexible basis and gives foster families the opportunity to have additional support from a foster carer when they need it.
"This includes support for families in our RCT communities on the edge of care, children in need of support due to their disabilities and supporting stability within fostering families.
"Fostering families might need someone to step in and care for their foster children when they need to go to a funeral, attend training, go on work trips or planned holidays and I’m sure there are lots of people in RCT who would love to help them”.
Director of Childrens Services Annabel Lloyd said: "Here in RCT, we will do everything we can to support foster families who give so much, day after day.
"Our foster carers provide remarkable care and stability for children and young people. Additional support can make a real difference in sustaining the life-changing and essential care that foster families provide.
"Becoming a support foster carer is ideal for people who want to foster but may not be able to commit full-time, perhaps because they work or have caring responsibilities of their own.
"By becoming a support foster carer, you can play a vital role in the team around the child, providing valuable assistance to foster families in a way that fits with your life as it is now”.
Could you do this? Could you look after child or sibling groups for a weekend each month or during school holidays? Perhaps you could be on call to provide a home to a child for a day or a week when needed? Could you fit this commitment around your day job? If so, Foster Wales RCT would love to hear from you and discuss the option and process with you.
To find out more visit Foster Wales RCT or meet the team this month:
RCT Jobs Fair, Llys Cadwyn, Pontyprdd on Thursday, October 15 from 10am-2pm.
Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Talbot Green on Wednesday, October 21 from 9.30am-12.30pm.
Family fun day at Llantrisant Leisure Centre on Thursday, Octobr 29 from 10am-2pm.
Halloween at the Royal Mint Experience on Saturday, October 31 from 10am to 3pm.
Posted on 01/10/2026