Fostering children?

Yes I know of some really wonderful relationships that have developed out of respite care and am surprised at it being referred to as the worst of foster caring. I'm sure there's situations where it's true but I don't know that it's a sentiment I've heard often.

I'd like to do it but I don't have a spare room and I work full time. I think I'd be good at it though. Maybe when I retire, if retirement is still a thing in 30 years.

We currently have an informal fostering arrangement with a teenager who used to live near us. We have approval from the agency responsible for her care for her to stay with us regularly (she stays most weekends, my husband and I both work full time so we tend not to see her through the week unless its an emergency). It wasn't planned, but has worked well for all of us for about 2.5 years. We sometimes end up with one of her friends who is also in care staying with us. Our kids are younger and for them its just the norm. There are some precautions we need to take relating to self harm but she is just like part of the family. She misses being in a family environment so for her I think she just enjoys the company, I imagine it would get quite lonely at times being in a house with just a carer.