Preparing to Foster
The Rewards
Fostering does bring a great deal of satisfaction. It may be from seeing a family reunited, seeing a frightened and unhappy child become more cheerful and confident or from seeing young people grow up and thrive knowing you have helped.
Here are some comments from foster carers in Shetland:
"If you look up the word "foster" in the dictionary, you will see that it means to promote the growth and development of a child not your own by birth and that it is what we have been doing for the last 13 years"
"What a difference it has made to my life, my house became alive with the noise of children and I was never lonely again".
Preparing to Foster
People who are considering fostering need to take some time to think through the implications of what it will mean for themselves and their families. Social Care must ensure that foster carers understand and are prepared for this task. A social worker will visit over several months to talk with all members of the family, there will be invitations to meet other foster carers and learn from them about their experiences and there will be some training sessions.
Some essential checks have to be made. For the sake of your own health and that of the children they will be looking after, foster carers have to have a medical examination.
A check is done by the Criminal Records Office to ensure that they have not been convicted of a serious offence.
A check with local authorities will also be done to see if there has been any contact with Social Care in the past.
Finally, two personal referees - friends, neighbours or a relative have to be seen.
If the prospective foster carers have been employed in childcare in the past, a third employer's reference is also required.
All the information is treated in the strictest confidence.
We hope in this way to make the right decision about fostering, for foster carers and for children in Shetland.
Essential Information
Social Care is responsible for all children being looked after and supports foster carers who are helping them.
Financial Help
Foster carers receive weekly allowances to cover the cost of things like clothing, food, pocket money, entertainment, treats, bus fares etc.
These rates increase each year to meet inflation. There are extra allowances for Christmas, birthdays and any special costs, including travel and equipment. The allowances can be increased by up to 100% for particularly demanding children.
Training
Training is offered to all foster carers. New and prospective carers are expected to attend a more extensive preparation course. Although there is an expectation for new and prospective carers to attend, it is appreciated that some people may have other commitments.
Training is usually informal. It covers areas such as Child Protection, the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and dealing with difficult behaviour.
Support
Support is just a phone call away. Foster carers can contact their own specialist Social Worker or the Duty Social Worker (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or each other for practical advice, a sympathetic ear, help in crisis or someone to moan at!
There is also a support group which meets every two months and allows foster carers to get together and exchange news and experiences. Sometimes speakers come along and present topics to the group.
No one looks after children in Shetland on their own.
Contact us
If you would like to begin discussing what fostering would mean to you, we will arrange for a social worker to phone you and visit your home, or meet you at your office, whichever suits you.
Please contact:
Family Placement Officer, Children's Resources Team, 92 St Olaf Street, Lerwick, ZE1 0ES
Tel: 01595 744485
For further information please see our Leaflets page and the Other Organisations page.