Fostering

All kinds of children need foster care for all kinds of reasons. There may be a family emergency and no other members to help. Some families need respite care while difficulties are resolved that allow a young person to return home. There may be, longer term issues such as illness, drug or alcohol abuse, where parents are no longer able to offer the care they would wish. Some children are made subject to supervision orders by a Children's Hearing for a variety of reasons from offending to neglect or abuse.

Children with Disabilities are also cared for by foster carers under various schemes, such as "Hame fae Hame".

Children in need of foster care vary in age from babies to teenagers. There are single children and groups of siblings. All are from families in Shetland with a variety of backgrounds.

Temporary foster carers look after children for periods of time ranging from a few days up to a maximum of two years. This involves working closely with Social Care and the child's birth family with a view to returning them home at some stage. In the event of a child being unable to return home, they may move on to permanent foster care or be placed for adoption. There are many reasons why children come into foster care, which usually involve a breakdown in their family circumstances.

Sometimes children only need fostering for a short time until their family circumstances improve. At other times however longer term care is needed.