“He didn’t want to be alone for a minute”: Temporary foster parents share experiences

Temporary foster parents in Lithuania provide a crucial safety net for children facing family crises, offering them a secure environment. Currently, Lithuania has 255 temporary foster parents and 54 permanent foster parents. These caregivers, along with 56 family-type homes and 3096 guardian families, are looking after 4046 children in family settings. An additional 958 children reside in institutional care, specifically in family-style homes.

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Although the number of temporary foster parents in Lithuania is gradually increasing, the need remains high. We still face challenges in finding a suitable temporary foster parent for a specific child

The network of temporary foster parents is growing, with the Vilnius municipality leading in the number of agreements at 38. Kaunas has 13, and Klaipėda has 11. However, many other municipalities have fewer than 10 such agreements. In some cities like Šiauliai, Utena, and Kėdainiai, the rate of children placed with temporary foster parents reaches 100% when relatives or emotionally connected individuals are unavailable. Yet, in larger cities such as Vilnius (34%), Kaunas (24%), and Klaipėda (10%), this rate is significantly lower, indicating that not all children in crisis are placed with temporary foster parents and some end up in institutional settings.

Municipalities report a shortage of temporary foster parents, particularly when needing to accommodate teenagers, larger groups of siblings, or children with disabilities. Ilma Skuodienė, director of the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, emphasized the vital role of temporary foster parents but noted a societal lack of understanding regarding the demands of this work. "Although the number of temporary foster parents in Lithuania is gradually increasing, the need remains high. We still face challenges in finding a suitable temporary foster parent for a specific child," she said.

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When a child needs an urgent safe environment, decisions must be made very quickly. Foster care centers look for a temporary foster parent who can take the child into their home and provide safety. But they are truly looking not just for a place – they are looking for a person and an environment where the child can be as calm as possible

Lina Pazikaitė, head of the VšĮ SOTAS foster care center in Vilnius, highlighted that temporary foster parents often provide the first sense of security for children after traumatic experiences. "When a child needs an urgent safe environment, decisions must be made very quickly. Foster care centers look for a temporary foster parent who can take the child into their home and provide safety. But they are truly looking not just for a place – they are looking for a person and an environment where the child can be as calm as possible," Pazikaitė explained. A temporary foster parent, identified as R. Kvieskienė, recalled her early experiences, noting the child's distress and the many sleepless nights and specialist visits that followed the separation from their family.

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Child strongly experienced separation from the family. There were many sleepless nights, visits to specialists.