Be the person that makes the difference. Children and young people who can’t live with their birth families are first and foremost just children with the same hopes and dreams of any other child. Through no fault of their own they are unable to live with their family and that is where you come in. At Scottish Adoption & Fostering we believe that all children deserve the opportunity to experience life in a loving family and that all children and foster carers should be supported at every stage of their fostering journey.

Fostering a child isn’t quite the same as raising your own child, as well as giving every day care you will also have a duty to attend any meetings or appointments and keep records on behalf of the child. Many children in foster care spend time with their birth family and foster carers can be a great help in supporting children to spend positive time with their families.

When you decide to become a foster carer, part of the process involves being assessed, approved and trained by us and you will always be supported by an expert team of people. Although your fostering journey will be hugely rewarding, it won’t always be easy, which is why we’ll give you all the guidance and support you need to adjust to your life and make it successful.

Why it makes sense to become part of the team and foster with us:

• 100 years of experience in adoption
• Sector leading support services with expertise in helping care experienced children and young people and their families/carers
• Access to formal learning and informal support including being linked with other foster carers who understand
• Early days programme providing a baseline assessment and early input to help build secure attachments with the child/young person in your care
• Children and young people’s groups for care experienced children and the birth children of foster carers
• A dedicated supervising social worker and out of hours cover
• You will be paid a fee that fairly compensates you for the skills and capability that you bring to the role and an allowance that covers the cost of the day to day care of the child you are looking after.

You should:

• Be at least 21 years-old.
• Have a spare bedroom.
• Be a full-time resident in the UK or have leave to remain.
• Be able to give the time to care for a child or young person.
• Offer a smoke-free environment.
• Have flexibility around work commitments to attend meetings etc.