We want you to feel at home as soon as possible. We believe that a family is a very good place for a child to grow up. If your own family cannot look after you then we want to make sure that we find a fostering family for you to be part of.

While you live in our fostering family you will have the same things as other children and we will do everything possible to keep you in touch with your family.

How do I meet my foster carer?
Can I keep in touch with my friends and family?
Will I have to change schools?
Do I have to share a bedroom?
What about rules in the foster home?
Can I choose my own clothes?
Pocket money
Can I take my pet with me?
What if I'm unhappy about what is happening?

For more details you can also read our Children's Guide and our Children's Rights (both Adobe pdf files).

Ideally you will meet them either where you are living at present or in their home. You can spend some time getting to know each other and hopefully stay over with them before moving in. Sometimes children come to stay with our carers on in an emergency, so we are not able to give you as much choice. However our carers and their family, along with people who know you well, including your family will help us to make sure we try and get things right for you as quickly as possible.

You and your family will be involved as much as possible. We will always ask you what you think and listen to what you have to say.

When you first go to a new foster home you may feel a little bit scared because it's new. Your social worker and your foster carer will understand this and will do what they can to help you. Do try and talk to them as it help them to know how you are feeling. Your foster carers will want to help you keep doing any hobbies or interests that you enjoy.

You can write or telephone them or they can contact you. Your letters will not be opened and we will try to do our best to keep your phone calls private. There may be exceptional circumstances when contact could be restricted but your social worker will talk to you about this if it needs to happen.

Back to the top

We will do our best to keep you at the school you have been attending. If you do have to change because of distance from the foster new home you will have lots of support to make new friends.

No, you will have your own bedroom. If you ever had to share a bedroom it would only be because you wanted to share, beacuse another member of your family has been placed with you. If so this would depend on your brother/sister's age, as well as if you and your brother/sister thought it was comfortable for you both.

Every home has some rules, like taking your shoes off at the front door. Before you move in you and your foster carer should talk about rules. Things like bed times would be worked about between you and your foster carer.

Back to the top

You will be involved in buying your clothes and talking with your foster carers about what you need to buy.

Each week you will get pocket money to spend on what you like. The amount you get will depend on how old you are. As you get older you will get more pocket money. Your foster carer will want to encourage you to save for bigger items.

Some foster homes already have pets in them so it may be difficult to have another pet in the house. Your social worker will tell you about any pets in the home already. It may be possible to take a small pet such as a hamster but you would have to ask your foster carer first.

Back to the top

If you have a problem there are a number of people who would want to know and help you. Talk to your social worker and or your foster carer. Talk to the foster carer's social worker who visits your foster home often. Talk to the person who is causing you a problem and try and work it out.

If none of this works and you are still unhappy fill in one of the complaints forms in the information you will get when you moved to your foster carer and send it to the manager of the fostering service. The address is on the form.

Some people who also can help are Who Cares? Scotland who work with children who are looked after and you can contact them on 0141 226 441 or by email at enquiries@whocaresscotland.org

Also our service is inspected by the Care Commission - people who make sure that all fostering services in Scotland run properly and that we are trying to make things better for children placed. You can contact them on 0845 603 0890