Why foster through us?

St Andrew’s Children’s Society’s support, understanding, kindness, incredible professionalism and encouragement goes beyond the realms of extraordinary, and beyond the working hours of 9-5. They’ve been there for us any time of day, year in and year out to support us on our journey. They’ve become family as well as making us a family!

Why foster through us?

You will receive a warm and speedy response to your initial enquiry.
You will be able to have an open discussion about fostering with us to help you decide if it’s right for you. You can ask questions to help you make your decision at any stage of the fostering process.
You will have experienced social workers supporting and guiding you all the way through the process of being prepared, assessed and approved as a foster carer.
We will then find the right child for you, not just by looking in one local authority area, but by searching across the whole of Scotland. You will be very much involved in this stage of the process. We are particularly looking for people who will make a long-term or permanent commitment to children who desperately need to feel they belong to a family that loves and cares for them.
You will receive the support you need to be the best foster carer you can be for the child in your care. Our commitment to you is long-term and you will never feel alone in the foster care task.
The average timescale from enquiry to approval is only 6 months.
You will receive financial support to meet the costs of day to day care of a child (Foster Care Allowance) but will also receive a fee that is a direct monthly payment to you as a reward for the huge effort you will put in to make a child feel safe, loved and ready to flourish in the world (see Financial support below).

If you would like to discuss what fostering entails to help you decide if it is right for you please contact us on 0131 454 3370 (if you live within 60 miles of Edinburgh) or 01224 878 158 (if you live within 60 miles of Aberdeen or Elgin).

You can ask as many questions as you like to help you make your decision.

Alternatively, please email info@standrews-children.org.uk and we will get back to you.

Supporting you as a foster carer

We are committed to offering our foster carers ongoing support, both formal and informal.

Our staff and agency are committed to forming positive and trusting relationships with all our foster carers and your social worker will help draw up an Individual Placement Agreement between the agency, the local authority that placed the child, and yourself. This will focus on detailing the needs of the child and on the skills you will need to meet these needs as fully as possible. It will also outline the support you should expect from your own social worker and the local authority social worker responsible for the child.

Included in the support we offer is:

Support groups for foster carers.
Support groups for children.
Liaison with other agencies, including schools.
SafeBase Parenting Programme (we are the only agency providing this intensive support programme that helps foster carers make good loving attachments with the child in their care).
Ongoing training opportunities.
Summer picnic and story-telling events (children under 12).
Christmas party (children under 12).

Financial support

Allowance and fee

Financial support to Foster Carers is paid on a monthly basis and is in part to meet the costs of caring for the child but also includes a fee payment to you to recognise the challenges and rewards of fostering for you and your family.

Birthday allowance

Carers will be paid the equivalent of one week fostering allowance as the birthday allowance for the year.

Christmas/religious festivals

Carers will be paid the equivalent of one week fostering allowance in November that is the Christmas/Religious Festival allowance for the year.

Holiday allowance

Carers will be paid the equivalent of two weeks fostering allowances in June that is the holiday allowance for the year.

Take the next step now!

One of our social workers will then contact you.

Alternatively, please call us on 0131 454 3370 (if you live within 60 miles of Edinburgh) or 01224 878 158 (if you live within 60 miles of Aberdeen or Elgin) or email info@standrews-children.org.uk and we’ll send you an enquiry form to complete and return.

If you have any questions or are unsure if you can adopt or foster through us, please contact us anyway using the details above to speak with one of our social workers.