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Fostering in Scotland
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Positive Experiences with Fostering in Scotland
July 13, 2011
Anna and Richard from Lothian have had 10 different foster care placements since they began fostering in Scotland with FCA. They began fostering when Anna expressed a desire to be at home more as her current job began leading her to work 10 hours a day. She was increasingly unhappy spending time away from her children.
“Anna quit her career in favour of child minding, but found it very restrictive with little ones and wasn’t able to get much exercise,” recalls Richard. “When a friend suggested we would make good foster carers we sat down and thought about why she had said that.
“Honestly, we didn’t really understand the true nature of fostering and couldn’t see ourselves in that role. But talking to the teenage daughter of a family friend changed our attitude when she said we would be good because we were easy to talk to and fun. When we started to ask our friends and family we were overwhelmed at how much support we had and that gave us the confidence to go through the Form F Assessment.”
The rewards of fostering in Scotland
For Anna, the most enjoyable aspect of fostering is being around when the kids come home from school, and listening to their stories. For Richard it keeps ‘the kid in him’ alive as he involves himself with the children’s activities, such as park outings, swimming and football.
“Our own children are able to see some of the difficulties in life from a safe perspective,” says Richard. “It’s made their views and choices for their futures that much more positive.
“Every day is different since becoming a foster carer and there is never a dull moment, but at the same time our life now is much more relaxed than it was when both of us were working. It has made me realise just how many skills I had that were taken for granted before. We have also learned more about child development which has helped us raise our own children in a much more positive way.”
The experience of fostering with FCA
Richard and Anna insist there’s not a chance of getting bored when fostering in Scotland with FCA. And despite how hectic it can be at times, they don’t regret it for a moment.
“Fostering is a much more positive experience than we ever imagined,” says Richard. “We are happy with the support we get from FCA and the reassurance that there is someone to talk to any time of the day or night; we will never have to face anything alone.
“The staff are like one big family. Everyone is so approachable and although everyone has a different role it’s very clear that we all share a common goal. There’s no sense of hierarchy and at meetings everyone is treated with equal importance.”
And it’s not just the general experience of working with FCA staff that Anna and Richard have benefited from. When a girl placed with them began to struggle in school, their Team Parenting™ Education Officer negotiated part time work experience to count towards education and to help improve her confidence. The pressure of being in school full time was lifted a little, and made the girl’s academic experience and foster care placement much easier.
“They were also there for us when Anna’s stepfather was seriously ill in hospital,” remembers Richard. “FCA were quick to put emergency respite into effect and ensured that we could take time to travel and spend time with him and support Anna’s mother. The pressure and the stress of what to do with the children were removed completely from our shoulders and our Supervising Social Worker was so understanding about the whole situation.”
Recommending fostering in Scotland
“What would I say to someone thinking of fostering?” Richard wonders. “Just go for it! Everything that is covered in the Form F Assessment will help address concerns and questions you may have. Going through the Form F can take time, but there’s no obligation to foster if you change your mind at any point.
“The training from FCA is regular and means that not only do I get out and meet other carers while training, the course content helps me understand the needs of the children I look after and better understand the complex behaviour of children in foster care. It helps me remain focused on the children’s needs and that means I know I can do my job well, not to mention the benefits to my own children.
“I would say to potential carers not to be put off thinking that teenage placements are in any way harder than others. We have found that some of the most positive experiences fostering have been with teens; most of the time they need someone to spend time and talk to them and there’s nothing hard about that.”
For more information about fostering in Scotland or to become a foster carer with FCA, call us on 0800 023 4561 or enquire online today.
