Fostering provides a safe and supportive home for a child or young person who cannot live with their birth family. The local authority remains legally responsible for the child, but foster carers take on their day-to-day care. The process begins with carefully matching the child to a suitable foster home. Once a home is found, the foster carers work closely with social workers, teachers, health professionals and, where appropriate, the child’s birth family. This teamwork helps meet the child’s emotional, physical and educational needs. Fostering can be short-term, long-term, or for specific situations such as emergency care, respite care or supporting children with disabilities. Throughout the time a child is living in a foster home, foster carers receive training, guidance and regular visits from their supervising social worker to make sure the child is safe, settled and thriving.