In my community, it is possible to be a weekend-only foster parent. It’s called “respite” or “relief”. The idea is that a regular foster parent, or a family who is trying to avoid a foster placement, needs a break once in a while. So once a month the foster child, or child who hasn’t been placed in a foster home but is having difficulty at home, comes to stay at your house for the weekend. You just do the regular things that you would be doing that weekend anyway. Everyone wins!
It was a great option for me when I had small children at home. I was a full-time foster parent for a while but I found I needed to give the majority of my energy to my own children during the week, at least until they became school-aged. But I could spare a couple of weekends a month to help other families. Mostly I had young teens, 11-15 year olds, and they really loved playing with my kids as well.
Our agency reimburses for expenses, so it costs you nothing but your time and caring!
