Could you offer a stable home to a child in need?
Children and young people in Shetland sometimes need to live away from their families, whether for a short time during a family crisis, or for longer while things are worked through. Foster carers provide care in their own homes, offering children safety, stability and reassurance when they need it most.
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Meet the carers
There is no single type of foster carer. In Shetland, carers are young and older, single and married, working and retired, living in towns, villages and remote places. Some provide emergency or short‑break care, while others offer longer‑term or permanent homes. What they have in common is time, compassion and the willingness to care for a child.
Anna & Sebastian
A long-term fostering relationship built on patience, trust and understanding (with help from Tess the dog)
Watch the full interview and read more about Anna & Sebastian's story
Fiona
A remote Foster Carer proving that care and connection can work anywhere - even in Gloup!
Laura & Joe
Young, working Foster Carers showing how fostering can fit around everyday life
Watch the full interview and read more about Laura & Joe's story
Ann & Ian
Experienced, retired foster carers offering stability, routine and long-term care
Watch the full interview and read more about Ann & Ian's story
Make a difference
For young people like Sebastian, having a stable foster home can make a life‑changing difference. After moving through several care settings as a child, he knows first‑hand how unsettling constant change can be. The opportunity to stay in one place, build trust over time and feel secure can reduce stress for children — and for foster carers too.
In this short video, Sebastian speaks openly about why more people coming forward to foster could mean fewer moves, stronger relationships and better outcomes for everyone involved.
Interested in learning more? Head to the sign up form and receive fostering information by email
Supported every step of the way
Foster carers in Shetland are never expected to do things on their own. From your first enquiry through assessment and into placements, the Family Placement Team offers guidance, training and ongoing support tailored to the type of fostering you want to offer. Carers have regular contact with social workers, access to preparation and ongoing training, and opportunities to connect with other foster carers. Whether you’re offering short‑term, long‑term or respite care, support is always there when you need it.
“You’re never on your own being a foster carer”
Family Placement Team leaders Angela Leask and Elaine Guest explain how training, guidance and peer support help carers at every stage of their fostering journey.
Meet the team supporting Shetland's Foster Carers - read our interview with Angela and Elaine
Could I be a Foster Carer?
To be a Foster Carer with Shetland Islands Council the main qualities you need are patience, understanding, the desire to make a difference to a child’s life by providing safety and stability, and a spare bedroom.
We need foster carers from all walks of life and with a range of backgrounds. As long as you are over the age of 21, you are eligible to start exploring the process.
I don’t own my own house – can I be a Foster Carer?
Yes. You can either rent or own your own house. You don’t need to have a large home, but you do need a spare bedroom for the children you foster, and some room for privacy, depending on the age of the child.
I’m single/In a same-sex relationship – can I be a Foster Carer?
Yes. You are able to apply to become a foster carer no matter what your relationship status is. You can be single, in a relationship cohabiting, married or in a civil partnership.
I don’t live in Lerwick – do you need Foster Carers in my area?
Yes. We need Foster Carers in all areas of Shetland.
I work full time – can I be a Foster Carer?
Yes. Our Foster Carers offer a range of different types of support. You don’t need to be available for full time placements if they do not fit with your work commitments. You could look at offering emergency, respite or short break placements.
My children still live at home – can I be a Foster Carer?
Yes you can. The Family Placement team will work with you to identify placements that will work with your own family. Often placements work best when the foster child is a few years younger than your own children.
Do I need to be well off to be a foster carer?
Not necessarily. We will do a financial assessment to make sure that you are able to support yourself with your income. You will receive an allowance for looking after a child, but this is usually claimed following a placement, so you should be able to pay for groceries and necessary bills.
Types of Foster Care
Children enter foster care for many different reasons, so placements can vary widely. Children may enter foster care from birth up to the age of 18, and while some placements are short, others continue into young adulthood, depending on individual circumstances.
All children need reassurance and care when they come into foster care, and some require ongoing emotional support. Most will continue to have contact with their birth families, with the aim always being to return them home if this is safe and possible. Our Foster Carers do a vital job in supporting Shetland’s children during this time.
We work closely with foster carers to match placements with their preferences, circumstances and availability, so fostering can fit safely and sustainably around their lives.
Emergency Placements
This is an unplanned placement made when no other place has been identified for the child. The likelihood is that the children have to be removed to a place of safety as quickly as possible, and foster carers are needed at short notice.
Short Breaks
A planned placement or series of short stays which can be respite for the child, their family or their long-term carers
Long Term or Interim Care
These are placements for children who need to be away from their home for more than just a few days or weeks.
During this time, rehabilitation home is being assessed by social work and contact arrangements are often in place for the child to see their parents in a safe environment. In some occasions children are unable to return home due to the risks to their safety and healthy development. Children may remain in foster care, residential care or the route for adoption is explored.
Permanent Care
Foster carers who are permanent carers for children and young people will look after them until adulthood. The children are a part of the family unit and a legal order is in place to secure this. Carers are committed to the foster child as if it was their own child.
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