Foster caring – could it be for you?

Orkney Islands Council, through Orkney Health and Care, is responsible for ensuring that children and young people in Orkney, have a safe, stable and caring environment when they cannot remain with their birth families for any reason. We’re currently looking for more people to consider whether foster caring could be for them.

When people consider foster caring, they often assume that it isn’t something they’d be eligible for, which a lot of the time isn’t the case. There are a lot of common misconceptions which people assume – like thinking their house isn’t big enough, or that they need to have experience in childcare or that fostering is the same as adoption. These aren’t true, and fostering is open to a lot more people than you may think.

Why does it matter?

Like many areas across Scotland, Orkney faces ongoing challenges in recruiting foster carers locally. When there aren’t enough local caring households available, children and young people may have to be placed with fostering agencies or in residential care. This is often outwith Orkney, and in recent years, as many as 13 children have had to leave Orkney for care.

This can be greatly distressing, as it means that these children are removed from their friends, school, community and family – everything that they’re used to.  Each foster carer potentially means that one less child has to experience this upheaval.

Could it be you?

There are fewer barriers that you may think for being a foster carer. You don’t need a large house, just a spare room. You don’t need a background in childcare or any formal qualifications, nor do you need to own your own home. Fostering is also very different from adoption, whilst both are extremely rewarding, fostering means providing a home for a child on either a short term or long term basis, whilst they are under the care of the Council, and is open to a lot more folk than they may realise.

What makes a good foster carer?

There is no ‘type’ of person who makes a good foster carer. Our current foster carers are people of all ages who come from a variety of backgrounds.

What we’re are looking is for people who are compassionate, patient, warm, resilient and who have a genuine desire to make a positive difference in a child’s life. 

They can be married, single, young, old, gay or straight – it doesn’t matter – it is your ability to relate and connect that is important and makes the difference to the child or young person being looked after.

You would not be doing it alone

From the point of first of contact with our dedicated fostering team to being paired with your first child, you will be supported every step of the way, and prepared through thorough training.  Once you are caring, you will have an individual support plan, have ongoing training, your own social worker as well as access to round the clock support whenever you need it. You will also receive a nationally agreed allowance and fostering fee to ensure you are never out of pocket.

Orkney even has its own fostering support group, where carers meet regularly to share experiences, offer advice, and support one another.

If you’ve ever considered fostering, even if it just crossed your mind, then please get in touch as we’d love to hear from you. There isn’t any commitment by getting in touch – it would just be a conversation to answer any questions to help you decide whether it would be right for you.

You can contact our fostering team on 01856873535 or by emailing fostering.adoption@orkney.gov.uk.