Drop-In at WAVERLEY COURT, East Market Street from 5 – 7pm
Retired but looking for a new challenge? We need patient and kind individuals with the skills to train as foster carers for children and teenagers who need safe, loving homes.
Excellent support package.
More information at: https://edinburghfostering.org.uk
Mary and Billy have been fostering with FCA Scotland for over 18 years now. They are now sharing their fostering story with us.
Billy and Mary have built lifelong connections with the children they have fostered over the years. Although they are all independent adults now, the couple still stays in touch with most of them.
When they first began their fostering journey, Billy was ready for a career change after working in the leisure industry for a number of years and decided to take up fostering full-time. He was the main carer for the first 10 years while Mary continued to work full time in housing but supported Billy in the mornings, evenings and at weekends.
Billy wants people to understand that men can make brilliant foster carers, too.
He said that fostering doesn’t mean only giving a child a roof, there’s a lot more to it. He shared how to manage expectations and work towards a successful outcome, saying: “You’re not going to get a ‘perfect’ child. It’s a challenging job, but it’s a very rewarding one.”
It is important, as Billy explained, to look at the situation from the foster child’s perspective. He said: “Your foster children may not be well equipped to receive the love and care you are giving them and so it’s very important to be patient and be able to support them in the right way.”
Billy, the main carer in the family at the time, said: “I decided that it was a good career choice for me. I felt that we could really help the children and make a difference in their lives.”
He wants more men to consider fostering as a career and shared some practical advice to get started, he said: “Get all the relevant information about fostering, ensure you have done your research, speak to people about it, and get as much support as you can.”
Currently, the couple cares for a fifteen year old girl who has lived with them for nine years along with her two siblings who have since moved out of their care, become “well-rounded adults”, and even started their own families.
They have kept an open channel of communication with them and said: “If anything happens, you can always come and speak to us and we will deal with it together.”
Alongside her, Billy and Mary also welcome short-term fostering which can be extra challenging but given their experience, the couple are happy to take them in and give them a safe space.
Billy and Mary were well-settled in their lives but always felt like they needed something more out of it. Mary said: “We were both working full-time and had a good life but we always felt that there was something we could offer.”
The couple both had children from other partners but didn’t have the chance to bring up a family together. Mary said: “We thought we could be a good parenting team.”
They saw an advert for fostering with FCA Scotland and decided to have a look into it since their own children were all grown up and had left home.
Billy and Mary’s fostering journey has been a long and successful one but not without its challenges. FCA Scotland provides consistent support, guidance, training and development to all their foster carers, to help manage those challenges and ensure they deliver nothing but the highest quality of care.
Mary fondly talks about one of their foster children who lived with them for eight years before moving out, she said: “As a foster carer, you build a long-lasting relationship with the child.
“We are still in contact with him after all these years and we are always there to support him when he needs it. He remains a member of our family and comes along for Christmas Day and family events.
“We helped these children build up their self-esteem and fit into the world, a journey which was made easier by the support of our social workers, therapists, and the team at FCA Scotland. We would highly recommend them as a fostering agency.”
Billy said: “I’m proud of the work we’ve done since the beginning of our fostering journey, it’s a very rewarding job and we’ve seen the rewards.
“I think we’ve done something worthwhile and have been able to give back to our community.”
For more information about fostering, visit FCA Scotland’s website:
Our next Foster or Adopt Waverley Court drop-in is on Thursday 1 June.
We need foster carers and adopters who can give young people safe and loving homes. Come along for a chat. We’ve love to meet you!
We need foster carers and adoptive parents who can give young people safe and loving homes. Excellent training and support.
Drop in for a chat to Waverley Court on Thursday 2 February, 5 – 7pm.
The city council urgently needs part-time and full-time carers who can give young people safe and loving homes.
Come along to our information event at Waverley Court tomorrow, Thursday 1st September, anytime between 5 and 7pm to find out what’s involved.
See you there! https://bit.ly/3d3tRqx
Thursday 2nd May, drop-in 5 – 7pm at Waverley Court
Looking for a career where you can change a child’s life for the better?
If you’re patient and understanding, have enthusiasm for looking after children and a sense of humour, come and speak to us about fostering at our next Waverley Court drop-in.
A children’s charity fostering service is concerned that myths about fostering are still stopping people from becoming foster carers. Continue reading Charity busting the myths about fostering during Foster Care Fortnight
Barnardo’s supporters and former TOWIE stars Debbie Douglas and daughter Lydia Bright are backing an urgent appeal by children’s charity Barnardo’s for more foster carers to look after vulnerable teenagers throughout the UK. The leading children’s charity is appealing to people in Edinburgh to consider fostering. Continue reading Barnardo’s appeal for foster carers
BARNARDO’s Fostering and Adoption Week 23 – 29 January
A new survey by Barnardo’s has revealed that 75 per cent of children living in Scotland said having a parent or guardian that encourages or believes in them is important for a positive future when they are adults. Continue reading When you believe in me …
Superstars from the world of sport have thrown their support behind foster carers this Foster Care Fortnight (1 – 14 June) and called for people to come forward to see if they have the skills needed to foster.
Scotland’s Minister for Children and Young People, Fiona McLeod has also written to all foster carers, thanking them for the huge difference they make to the lives of vulnerable children.
Gabby Logan, television presenter and journalist, is a long-time supporter of the Fostering Network’s Foster Care Fortnight campaign, and she said: “Foster carers are incredible people who dedicate their lives to vulnerable children, but throughout the country there are still many teenagers, disabled children and sibling groups who need a loving home. I am always proud to support The Fostering Network’s Foster Care Fortnight campaign, because I am always proud to support foster carers and the work that they do for our society.
“If you think you have the skills to make a difference to the life of a child and help to ensure that they are on a positive path in life, contact your local fostering service this Foster Care Fortnight.”
Golfer Darren Clarke (above) , and Olympic gold medallists Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent, are some of the other sporting heroes to back this year’s campaign. You can check out their placard pictures, and those of all the other celebrities who have backed the campaign, on the website.
James Foyle, Foster Care Fortnight coordinator, said: “We’re thrilled that these world renowned people from the world of sport have taken the time to recognise the valuable contribution of foster carers to society.
“The support comes on the day that 600 hardy fundraisers will take to the streets and fields of Blaenau Gwent, Gloucestershire, Llanelli, London, Neath Port Talbot, Magherafelt, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Richmond, Yorkshire and Swansea in aid of The Fostering Network. This year’s Foster Walks have received an unprecedented amount of people coming out to support The Fostering Network, and each entrant deserves a gold medal themselves!”
The Fostering Network brings together everyone who is involved in the lives of fostered children and young people to lead, inspire, motivate and support them to make foster care better. To support our work visit www.fostering.net/donate or to donate £10 text FOST37 £10 to 70070.
Also in support of the Fostering Network’s Foster Care Fortnight awareness raising campaign, the Minister for Children and Young People, Fiona McLeod has written to all foster carers in Scotland, thanking them for the huge difference they make to the lives of vulnerable children:
Dear Foster Carer
The Minister for Children and Young People, Aileen Campbell wrote to foster carers on 19 May 2014 expressing her gratitude for the dedication and commitment you make on a daily basis to caring for the needs of some of our most vulnerable children and young people.
In my position as Acting Minister for Children and Young People, I would very much like to reinforce that message to you all. I would also like to take this opportunity, especially at the start of the Foster Care Fortnight awareness raising campaign, to update you on recent policy improvements that will positively impact on you in your role as foster carers and also on the lives of the children you care for
FOSTER CARE REVIEW
Some of you may already be aware that a national review of foster care took place during 2013 and you can read the final report and the Scottish Government response to that review and each of the recommendations which was published on 23 January 2014.
Between August 2014 and March 2015 we have been taking forward a programme of work aimed at seeing the majority of the recommendations implemented into practice and I am pleased to report that some substantial pieces of work have now been concluded. You can read our latest progress update which also provides you with some links that you may find of interest.
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE (SCOTLAND) ACT 2014
You may already be aware that the new Act, from 1 April 2015, allows 16 year olds, to remain with their foster carers up to the age of 21 should they request it, and when they are ready to leave their continuing care placement, they will also be entitled to aftercare support up to the age of 26, to offer a more gradual transition to independent living. This is much more in line with the experiences of their non-looked after peers. These benefits were enthusiastically welcomed by the care sector and young people.
A number of consultation events are about to take place specifically targeting Foster Carers to allow them to discuss & clarify the guidance for Part 10 Aftercare & Part 11 Continuing Care. This will give them the opportunity to influence the final guidance and discuss any issues that it raises for them. The events will also help Foster Carers understand when they might consider a Continuing Care placement for a young person placed with them and what this means.
As you may appreciate, there has been a substantial amount of work carried out in recent months to develop guidance for the care sector on how these new provisions will work in practice. We have in recent months been undertaking a series of meetings and events aimed at providing service managers, practitioners and young people with the opportunity to provide us with their views on the draft Continuing Care and Aftercare guidance. In May we held events with a particular focus on foster care. We hope to be in a position to publish the guidance in the summer.
Our aims are to ensure that young people are not discharged from care before they feel ready, improve the planning and preparation that is required when they do decide to leave care and also provide young people with a better package of support after they move into their own living arrangements.
GUIDANCE ON DECISION MAKING FOR FOSTER CARERS
I would like to let you know about another piece of work being undertaken to support you in your role. The Scottish Government have commissioned Scottish Child Law Centre to develop guidance that will assist foster carers understand their legal position on everyday decisions they need to make about the children they care for. This will cover e.g. haircuts, medication, bank accounts, holidays as well as many other circumstances that arise on a daily basis. The guidance is expected to be finalised soon and we hope to publish this guidance in the summer. We will bring this to your attention at the time.
THE FOSTERING NETWORK
You may find it helpful to know that the Fostering Network provide advice and guidance to foster carers on a wide variety of issues relating to fostering and Fosterline Scotland is a confidential helpline that you can access Monday to- Friday between 10 am and 4 pm on 0141 204 1400 or via e-mail to fosterlinescotland@fostering.net should you require support on any issue.
I do hope this update is useful to you and again, thank you to you and your families for providing support for the children and young people you care for and helping them to achieve their full potential.
With my heartfelt thanks
FIONA MCLEOD
