New Scots Fostering Strategy Introduced

A plan which will shape foster and kinship care in Scotland over the next 20 years will today be unveiled by Education Minister Hugh Henry. A consultation on the National Fostering and Kinship Care Strategy, which includes proposals to improve care for foster children and the support offered to those providing care, will be launched at Edinburgh Castle.

{mosimage}Children, young people and their foster and kinship carers will be asked to log on here to register their opinion on the strategy.

The strategy – drafted with support from a panel of experts including The Fostering Network, BAAF, Barnardos, NCH, ADSW, CoSLA and foster and kinship carers – contains proposals to:

• Give every child in foster or kinship care a better chance by providing them with safe, stable and secure placement

• Allow a young person in foster/kinship care to remain in home beyond 18th birthday if appropriate

• Improve recruitment and retention of foster carers through additional support

• Determine and standardise payments across Scotland to foster carers.

Mr Henry, who will launch the consultation during a reception for foster and kinship carers, said: “Scotland’s children are its future. We want every child to have a safe, stable and secure home environment to give them the best start in life.
“Our foster and kinship carers already play a vital role in supporting and shaping those who will go on to shape Scotland’s future.

“We must guarantee the support we give our looked after children, and those who look after them, is of the highest standard possible. That’s why we are asking those who know best of all to tell us how we can make the Scottish care system the best in the world.”

Bryan Ritchie, director of the Fostering Network Scotland, said: “This is an important milestone for both foster and kinship care in Scotland. We will be working with the Scottish Executive to ensure that both foster and kinship carers and social workers participate in the consultation process over the coming months.

“Foster carers’ views, along with those of children in foster and kinship care will help shape the development of the strategy. At the Fostering Network our ambition is to put in place a system that provides Scotland’s most vulnerable children with the type of care that we would want for our own children.”