St Andrew's Children's Society - Adoption and Fostering Agency. Fostering Page




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	What is Foster Care?
		We provide foster care placements for a range of children of all ages. Sometimes a placement might last for a few days other placements last for several years and can become a lifetime commitment to a child. Foster carers receive a fee payment that is given to recognise the ‘task’ you are undertaking for the child. You also receive allowances that help to pay for the cost of caring for a child i.e. to pay for food, clothing, pocket money etc.

		Here are answers to a few questions you may be thinking about. (Click on the question to see the answer. Please ring or email if you have others.)
		Will my age be a factor? What about religious beliefs? What about my racial heritage? Do I need previous parenting experience? Possible reasons why we might think foster care would not be right for you. What is the Process to be approved as a foster carer?
	Here are brief details of some of the kinds of children we have placed in the past:
		Darren is 11 years old and lives in a residential unit and has regular weekend contact with his birth family. He will not ever be able to live with his family and he needs to spend the rest of his childhood in a family environment where he will be cared for and feel secure. Foster carers will be able to provide this security while respecting and promoting his need to have good contact with his family. Sarah is 7 years old and was sexually abuse by a family acquaintance. Her birth mother loves her but cannot guarantee to protect her and keep her safe. Sarah loves her mother and needs to see her in a safe environment but she needs to be part of a foster family that can help her deal with the hurt and disappointment she feels about what happened to her and to help her build up her trust in adults again.
	What kinds Of People Are We Looking For?
		Will my age be a factor?	Up
		We are open to considering couples and single people aged 21 and over. Usually foster carers stop providing care when they reach retrial age but it depends on the needs of the children they have placed with them.
		What About Religious beliefs?	Up
		Since we have links with the Roman Catholic community we are looking for Roman Catholic couples and single people for children of a Roman Catholic heritage. We are also looking to consider couples and single people of all religious denominations for children of any religious heritage. We also consider enquiries from Couples and single people of no religious persuasion for children where religion is not a matching consideration.
		What about my racial heritage?	Up
		We welcome enquiries from white couples and single people for children from a white racial and cultural background. We welcome enquiries from black, chinese and asian couples and single people for children from black, chinese and asian racial and cultural backgrounds. There maybe occasions when a trans-racial placement may be considered if it is thought to be in the best interests of a particular child, but this would be at variance with the normal protocol of same race placements and would therefore need to be well justified.
	Do I need previous parenting experience?		Up
		We place children with couples and single people who have never cared for a child. We place children with couples and single people who have children of their own at home. We place children with couples and single people who have grown up children away from home.
	Reasons why we might think foster care would not be right for you.		Up
		You have a criminal conviction of a violent or sexual nature, especially if the offence was committed against a child. You or someone else in the household has a serious, life-threatening illness. You do not have suitable accommodation that would allow you to care for a child appropriately. Your lifestyle is such that it would impede you ability to care appropriately for a child, e.g. your employment or hobby means that you spent a lot of time away from home You are going through or are about to go through a course of infertility investigations or treatment.
	What is the Process to be approved as a foster carer?		Up
		Making an initial enquiry Firstly you can make an initial enquiry to us by phone, letter E-mail or in person. We will then send you out some information about what we do and an initial enquiry form for you to return to us. When you return this form we arrange for a social worker to visit you to discuss your interest in foster care in more depth. Preparation Groups If you want to take if further we would then invite you to attend a preparation group programme that is designed to help you decide if foster care is right for you and your family. Once the preparation groups are finished you can formally apply to be considered as a foster carer and you would be allocated a social worker to carry out your homestudy. The Homestudy The information for homestudy is gathered during a series of interviews carried out over a period of time (typically between 3 and 6 months) with you in your home. The document that is produced should offer an accurate picture of you and everything that is written about you is open for you to see and agree with. The Foster Care Panel Once the homestudy is completed it is circulated to the Foster Care Panel and you are invited to attend on the day your approval is considered. The panel is made up of people who have an interest or involvement in foster care and they make a recommendation regarding your suitability to foster. Looking For A child Once the final decision on your approval has been made we can then start looking for the right child or children for you. We work with many local authorities in Scotland and occasionally English authorities. While the child is in your care we continue to offer you regular support and the child’s situation is regularly reviewed by local authority that placed the child. (This process will be explained to you step by step so that you are prepared at every stage in order that you should know what to expect.)