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Scotland is in need of safe and loving foster homes, find out if you Have what it takes
THE number of foster carers has fallen by almost 30 per cent in the last eight years.
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And in Scotland, there is currently a shortage of foster caring households to provide safe and loving homes for children.
For a child or young person in foster care, the ordinary can be extraordinary. It can be the mundane, simple moments like sitting round the table for a meal or watching a film together, that can build a connection and make a difference to a child’s life.
it can be the mundane, simple moments, like sitting round a table for a meal or watching a film together
Foster care is taking care of a child when they cannot stay in their own home or with another family member.
You can apply to become a foster carer through your local council.
Are there different types of foster care?
Yes – there are many different types of foster care and you will be supported to discover which type of fostering is best for you and your family. They include short breaks, short-term foster care, when you look after a child for less than a year, and longer-term foster care, when you look after a child for more than two years. Permanent foster care is when a child lives with you permanently.
Can anyone become a foster carer?
You can foster a child if you are a full time resident in the UK, are aged 18 or over and have a spare bedroom in your home. There is no upper age limit. It does not matter whether you have children already or not, whether you rent your home or own it, and whether you work full-time or not. And you can foster a child regardless of your marital status, sexual orientation or religion.
How do I apply to become a foster carer?
The fostering service you apply through will carry out an assessment which may take between six to 12 months. It checks things like your medical history, your criminal record and your finances. Through the application and preparation process you will be supported by a social worker who will visit your home several times and get to know you and your family.
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Here we take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions. The answers may help you decide whether it is something you would like to do.
If you can provide stability and care, you can provide the loving foster home a child or young person needs.
Find out more at gov.scot/fostercare
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What is
Foster Care?
What is
Throughout the application process you’ll attend foster care preparation groups. You’ll have the chance to meet existing foster carers who can share their experiences and answer your questions. You’ll also be interviewed by a ‘fostering panel’, a group of experts who will make recommendations to the fostering service you applied through.
What happens if I am approved as a foster carer?
You’ll sign a fostering agreement with the organisation you applied to confirming that you’ll treat any child you foster as if they’re a member of your family and that you will not physically punish any child you foster. When a child is placed with you, you’ll be given information about their personal life, health and educational needs.
What about help with the costs of caring for a child in foster care?
You’ll get a weekly fostering allowance to cover things like clothing, food, travel, household bills and spending money for the child you are caring for. You’ll also receive a fostering fee for being a foster carer, which is paid in addition to the fostering allowance, for your skills and knowledge as a foster carer. And you may get one-off payments for things like the child’s birthday.
What if I need help once I’m a foster carer?
You’ll have a supervising social worker who will help you find the right support. When you foster through your local council, you automatically become a member of the Fostering Network. As part of the Fostering Network, you can get support from a network of foster carers like you.
- If you can provide stability and care, you can provide the loving foster home a child or young person needs. Find out more at gov.scot/fostercare
Eric Parker
CASE STUDY #1
ERIC Parker and his wife have been foster carers for 14 years and have cared for 40 children in that time.
The couple, from Fife, have provided everything from emergency foster care – for children who need a safe, secure home at just a few hours’ notice – to foster care for longer periods and for groups of up to four siblings at the same time.
While the role can be challenging, Eric, 65, says the couple find it fulfilling and love being able to do something positive in their local community. He said: “I’ve travelled across the world, doing things like helping to build a children’s home in Myanmar, but fostering is doing something on your own doorstep.
“Helping a child make the transition to being adopted and helping their new parents as they get to know them is really precious. “One boy who came to us at 14, after arriving in the UK as a refugee, still sends cards at Christmas and on Mother’s Day.
“Kids are incredibly resilient and sometimes you can’t believe what they’ve been through at such a young age.
“If you’re thinking about becoming a foster carer, chatting to someone already doing it is probably the best way to understand whether it’s for you or not. “Having some experience of raising children helps, but it’s also important to have a level head, and the ability to be patient and tolerant. “It’s great to feel really valuable to the people we’ve been caring for over the years.”
Kirstin Hardie
CASE STUDY #2
TEACHER Kirstin Hardie is a full-time foster carer to twins aged seven and also provides
short breaks for two sets of sisters each month.
Kirstin, 32, from Perth, became a foster carer three years ago and says that seeing the kids
she cares for flourish is very rewarding.
She likes how the children are part of her life and that her family have welcomed them too – buying gifts at birthdays and Christmas.
Kirstin said: “Seeing the children you foster make progress is really rewarding.
“When I drop them off at school and their teachers say they’re getting on so much better, it’s a great feeling and you know you’re doing the right thing.
“One of the girls I’ve looked after got a role in a theatre production, and it was amazing to think back to how shy she was when I first met her.
“You can totally see the change you’re making.”
Foster carers can decide which age groups to look after and the type of care – from short-term foster care to permanent placements – they want to provide.
Kirstin also appreciates being able to turn to other foster carers for advice if she experiences behaviour that is challenging.
She added: “The support of other foster carers definitely keeps you going.
“There’s a real need for foster carers, and there are always kids in need.
“Teachers are in a great position to foster, not just because of the holidays but also because they have an understanding of what’s going on.”
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SPRING is the perfect time to get out and about, visit Scotland’s brilliant local attractions – and make memories that will last a lifetime.
With hundreds of places to visit - from museums and art galleries to nature reserves, music, food and drink festivals and everything in between - there’s a host of fun days out that are ideal for the whole family.
And great value deals, like Good Journey discounts on selected attraction entry fees when you travel by train or bus, mean you won’t have to blow the budget either.
Michael Golding, Chief Executive Officer at the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions, said: “Visitors travel from all over the world to experience Scotland’s incredible attractions, yet we often overlook the outstanding places that are right on our doorstep.
“From history and heritage to culture, adventure, and family fun, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.”
FROM FAMILY FUN TO CULTURE & NATURE, SCOTLAND HAS YOU COVERED
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we often overlook the outstanding places that are right on our doorstep
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And in Scotland, there is currently a shortage of foster caring households to provide safe and loving homes for children.
For a child or young person in foster care, the ordinary can be extraordinary. It can be the mundane, simple moments like sitting round the table for a meal or watching a film together, that can build a connection and make a difference to a child’s life.
What is
What is
Foster Care?
Foster care is taking care of a child when they cannot stay in their own home or with another family member.
You can apply to become a foster carer through your local council.
Are there different types of foster care?
Yes – there are many different types of foster care and you will be supported to discover which type of fostering is best for you and your family. They include short breaks, short-term foster care, when you look after a child for less than a year, and longer-term foster care, when you look after a child for more than two years. Permanent foster care is when a child lives with you permanently.
Can anyone become a foster carer?
You can foster a child if you are a full time resident in the UK, are aged 18 or over and have a spare bedroom in your home. There is no upper age limit. It does not matter whether you have children already or not, whether you rent your home or own it, and whether you work full-time or not. And you can foster a child regardless of your marital status, sexual orientation or religion.
How do I apply to become a foster carer?
The fostering service you apply through will carry out an assessment which may take between six to 12 months. It checks things like your medical history, your criminal record and your finances. Through the application and preparation process you will be supported by a social worker who will visit your home several times and get to know you and your family.
What
What
happens next?
Foster care is taking care of a child when they cannot stay in their own home or with another family member.
You can apply to become a foster carer through your local council.
Are there different types of foster care?
Yes – there are many different types of foster care and you will be supported to discover which type of fostering is best for you and your family. They include short breaks, short-term foster care, when you look after a child for less than a year, and longer-term foster care, when you look after a child for more than two years. Permanent foster care is when a child lives with you permanently.
Can anyone become a foster carer?
You can foster a child if you are a full time resident in the UK, are aged 18 or over and have a spare bedroom in your home. There is no upper age limit. It does not matter whether you have children already or not, whether you rent your home or own it, and whether you work full-time or not. And you can foster a child regardless of your marital status, sexual orientation or religion.
How do I apply to become a foster carer?
The fostering service you apply through will carry out an assessment which may take between six to 12 months. It checks things like your medical history, your criminal record and your finances. Through the application and preparation process you will be supported by a social worker who will visit your home several times and get to know you and your family.
FOR Osama Nadeem, the impact of racial abuse at school had a lasting impact on his mental health – but he now feels more positive after seeking help.
Osama, of Paisley, Renfrewshire, was targeted by pupils who isolated him from other children, making it hard for him to have friends and leaving him feeling lonely.
He was reluctant to ask for help because of the stigma around it – and because he feared it would be seen as attention-seeking.
The 26-year-old said: “I was targeted at primary school by pupils who shouted racist abuse at me – it happened every day and continued through to high school.
“This made me feel very isolated and lonely and made it hard for me to have friends.
“In the Islamic community there can be a stigma attached to asking for help with
your mental health and it can sometimes be seen as attention-seeking, so I didn’t feel that I could speak about how I was feeling.
“I also thought that mental health professionals wouldn’t understand how much of an impact the bullying had on me, but my mental health got much worse because I didn’t get the help I needed.”
Osama found the courage to seek professional help and now has access to support and the tools he needs to look after his mental health.
He said: “I’m proud to say that I have made lots of progress and now feel positive about the future – planning things to look forward to really helps me too.
“We all need to look after our mental health – it’s just as important as looking after your physical health and it’s okay to speak about how you’re feeling.
“There are lots of great resources out there, like the Mind to Mind site.
“Be kind to yourself, remember that you are not alone and there is help out there.”
Eric Parker
CASE STUDY #1
ERIC Parker and his wife have been foster carers for 14 years and have cared for 40 children in that time.
The couple, from Fife, have provided everything from emergency foster care – for children who need a safe, secure home at just a few hours’ notice – to foster care for longer periods and for groups of up to four siblings at the same time.
While the role can be challenging, Eric, 65, says the couple find it fulfilling and love being able to do something positive in their local community. He said: “I’ve travelled across the world, doing things like helping to build a children’s home in Myanmar, but fostering is doing something on your own doorstep.
“Helping a child make the transition to being adopted and helping their new parents as they get to know them is really precious. “One boy who came to us at 14, after arriving in the UK as a refugee, still sends cards at Christmas and on Mother’s Day.
“Kids are incredibly resilient and sometimes you can’t believe what they’ve been through at such a young age.
“If you’re thinking about becoming a foster carer, chatting to someone already doing it is probably the best way to understand whether it’s for you or not. “Having some experience of raising children helps, but it’s also important to have a level head, and the ability to be patient and tolerant. “It’s great to feel really valuable to the people we’ve been caring for over the years.”
Eric Parker
CASE STUDY #1
If you can provide stability and care, you can provide the loving foster home a child or young person needs.
Find out more at gov.scot/fostercare