National consultation launched on the future of foster care

People are being encouraged to share their views on plans for the future of foster care in Scotland.

The consultation, which will help ensure foster care is fit for the future, sets out proposals including more peer support opportunities, and using foster carers to facilitate family time with parents and siblings of children in foster care. The new approach could potentially offer an increased role for foster carers supporting families on the edge of care.

A national push to recruit more foster carers will also launch in 2025, with the aim of ensuring there are enough foster carers to support children in care.

Meeting foster carers last month, First Minister John Swinney heard about the important role they play in supporting children and young people. Mr Swinney encouraged foster carers and children with care experience in particular to take part in the consultation.

Marking Care Experience Week, which ran from 19-26 October, both the announcement of a new recruitment campaign next year and the consultation are key steps towards Keeping The Promise by delivering for care experienced children and young people.

Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise, Natalie Don-Innes, said:

“We want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow up. To do this we need to ensure that children and young people with care experience are given the support, love and nurture that they need.

“Foster carers have a key role to play in Keeping The Promise. The consultation is shaped by the honest and open reflections that have been shared by foster carers and children and young people with experience of foster care.

“I recognise some of the challenges facing foster care and that’s why along with the consultation, we will be launching a recruitment campaign for foster carers ensuring we can provide family-based care for those in need.”

Anne Currie, Assistant Director Scotland at the Fostering Network, said:

“The Fostering Network is pleased the Scottish Government is launching a national consultation on fostering and is seeking the views of those most affected, foster carers and care experienced young people.

“We know urgent changes are needed to improve fostering and to Keep The Promise so all children and young people can grow up in stable, loving homes. It’s crucial that foster carers’ voices are heard, which is why we’re working with the government to host online and in-person engagement sessions to provide an opportunity to ensure their views are heard.

“Last year the number of fostering households in Scotland fell by 8%, so retention and recruitment of foster carers are more important than ever. We welcome plans to launch a national recruitment campaign and want to ensure current and former foster carers are involved in this as much as possible.”