We're ready. Are you? Make fostering your life's work.
At Care Visions Fostering Scotland, we create positive environments in which fostering families can help children build confidence, for life.
Sadly, in Scotland, many children are unable to live with their families. For them, fostering provides a safe and stable home; helping them feel valued, ensuring their needs are met and giving them the best chance to develop.
Depending on the circumstances, there are a variety of levels of support that foster carers can provide children with, whether it be either short-term support or a long-term home.
We can define these as;
Interim Placement
Life is full of challenges and this type of placement offers much needed relief from daily stresses for both children and their families until such times as they are able to return home or move to a longer-term placement.
Long-term Placement
When a child cannot return to their family, a long-term placement needs to be arranged. This can last for several years, and even become permanent if the circumstances are suitable. A long-term foster carer plays an extremely important role in a young person's development; providing support, guidance and love, to help them lead a confident and fulfilling adult life.
Permanence
When a child cannot return home, the next best thing is to find them a family who they can remain with for the duration of their childhood and where they feel they belong. Foster carers offering Permanence have the same level of support from Care Visions Fostering Scotland, however they also have more say in decision-making about the child's life.
Short Break
Some foster carers offer short break placements for children who might come and stay for a few days on all regular basis, or it may be a few weeks to help support the child or another foster carer.
Emergency Care
Sometimes, children require foster care at short notice, either until an ideal placement can be found, or until they return to their family. Emergency care ranges from one night to a few weeks, providing immediate reassurance and support.
If you're thinking about becoming a foster carer, but aren't sure of what the process entails, have a look at our 'Fostering Journey' graphic below. It provides some insight into the turns of the fostering journey and what to expect at each stage.
"A typical fostering journey"
We are aware of the feelings and experiences of others. We care through relationships based on empathy, warmth and affection to restore and maintain trust and hope.
We live by our values and our actions demonstrate our commitment to them. We nurture potential and challenge appropriately.
We value others and will act in a way that communicates this. We recognise our differences and celebrate them. We listen to and care for each other.
We aim to protect people from harm. We recognise the impact trauma has and that sustained therapeutic relationships can have a positive impact. Our work is trauma-informed and based on attachment theory.
