What foster care is
Fostering is caring for a child or young person in your home when they’re not able to be looked after by their own family.
Every child needs love, support and stability to develop and grow. Children have their own individual circumstances and experiences, from newborns to older teens. As a foster carer, you'll bring your own experiences and qualities to provide the support children need. There is no typical foster family.
"The process allowed for us to be honest and open about which type of fostering would work best for our careers and life. There are more options than I think people realise."
Jo White, a foster carer in Perth and Kinross.
Types of foster care
There are different types of foster care that you can do. They all allow you to provide care and stability to a child or young person who needs it.
This can be:
- an emergency stay for overnight or a few days
- regular short breaks
- a longer stay for few weeks or months
- something more permanent
When you apply to be a foster carer you can talk to your social worker about what type of care will suit you best.
"There are also different kinds of foster care; from short breaks to permanent. I decided to start with short breaks and as I'm a teacher, I'm able to provide support during the school holidays as well as during term-time at weekends."
Kirstin Hardie, a foster carer in Perth and Kinross.