Shining a light on fostering – FosterCareFortnight 2026

Foster Care Fortnight (FCF) is the UK’s biggest foster care awareness raising campaign – a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the amazing impact that foster caring can have and to encourage more people to consider becoming a foster carer, and is delivered by leading fostering charity, The Fostering Network.

This year FCF runs from the 11-24 May, and the theme is ‘This is Fostering’, celebrating real, everyday stories of foster carers and the very real difference they make to the lives of children and young people.

Across Scotland, hundreds of foster carers open their homes to provide, a safe, stable and loving environment for children and young people in need. However, the number of carers has been falling year on year, and this is true for Orkney, so more foster carers are urgently needed to ensure that each child’s needs are met, and that they’re given the opportunity to flourish in our community.

Diane Petrie Team Manager, Authority Wide Services, said:

"Foster Care Fortnight is a moment for all of us to reflect on the incredible contribution our foster carers make every single day. In Orkney, we are a close-knit community, and that spirit of looking out for one another is exactly what fostering embodies. We are grateful to every carer who opens their home and we are actively looking for more people - people of all backgrounds and circumstances - who might consider taking that step."

Throughout this coming fortnight we will be sharing posts, stories and information on and from Foster Carers and the staff that are there to support them.

There isn’t one profile for what makes an ideal foster carer, and we welcome enquiries from people of all backgrounds, as long as you have a willingness to support a child through a challenging period in their life, then you could have what it takes.

The Council can support you and foster carers with comprehensive support, including dedicated social worker support, ongoing training and 24-hour advice.

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.