Matching children with families in Scotland

One of the most important components of ensuring that children have a positive experience while in foster care is finding the right family to care for them.

This stage of your fostering journey, known as the foster care matching process, is an intricate process which takes a child’s individual needs into account, as well as the needs of the foster carer who will welcome them into their home and heart.

Here at Fosterplus, we pride ourselves on making lasting, great-quality matches between children and families, and have spent almost 30 years perfecting our matching process. With only 3% of our foster families waiting for a match at any one time, you can trust that you’re in good hands with Fosterplus.

The matching process will begin after you’ve completed your fostering assessment and have been officially approved to foster. Once you’re approved, our experienced referrals team will work behind the scenes to match you with children who will fit right into your family, and whose needs you are fully equipped to support.

Holistic matching makes happy families

When we match children with foster families, we take many things into account and look for areas of your lives which could make you a great fit for one another.

This isn’t a hands-off process; we’ll directly ask for your opinions, needs and preferences, and will Keep the Promise by prioritising the unique needs and preferences of the young people who we’re finding homes for. By considering the needs and preferences of everyone involved, we can forge beautiful lasting connections. Some of these considerations will include:

Your location. This will influence things including whether the child we be able to stay at their current school while living with you and how far they’ll need to travel to visit their birth family.

Cultural, religious or ethnic background. While people from all backgrounds successfully foster children of other cultures, we try to match children to families who share their cultural background, including their faith or ethnicity. This cultural matching can have great outcomes for children, helping them to maintain a strong connection to their cultural identity and helping them to strengthen their sense of self.

The needs of the children already living in your home. As a foster carer, the needs of the children already under your care – whether your current foster children or your own children – will always be prioritised when we find you a new match.

Personality and interests. Having things in common is a great foothold for building a great and lasting relationship.

Your preferences. If you would like to foster children in certain age groups, or perhaps you have a particular interest in welcoming siblings, we’ll take your personal preferences into account when finding matches for you.

How long will I wait before a child is placed in my care?

This will depend upon a range of factors, including the types of fostering which you can offer, how many children you can welcome into your home.

We work closely with Local Authorities across Scotland and receive around 150 referrals each month for children in need of a foster home.

Matching is extremely important to Fosterplus, and it is crucial to ensure a nurturing, safe, stable environment for children and young people. It’s unlikely you’ll have to wait long before our team contacts you with details of a child or young person in need of a safe, caring home.

Do I have to accept a match?

The simple answer is, no. It is always your choice whether or not to welcome a child into your home, and we’ll never pressure you into accepting a match which doesn’t feel right for you or your family. Each child waiting for a home deserves to be matched with the family who can best fulfil all of their needs, and if that isn’t you at this time, there is no shame or judgement in that.

You may choose to say no to a potential match if you believe that the child’s needs are outside of your current skillset, or if you feel their needs might misalign with the needs of other children in your home. Remember that we will always offer you a wide range of additional training opportunities which can give you the confidence to welcome children who may have complex needs, and you may be able to receive additional financial support to support your young person.

Knowing when a match isn’t quite right

We’ll do all we can to ensure that the referrals we provide for you are what your family is looking for. That being said, not every potential match will be the right one for you as a foster carer.

While it can be incredibly difficult to say no when presented with a young person’s referral, be sure to carefully consider everyone’s needs, including your own and the needs of other children in your home, before accepting a match. Ensuring that a new match is the right choice for every member of your family is crucial in creating a harmonious environment.

“We found that the matching process is really useful. We’d suggest taking your time reading through your referrals. It’s hard to say no, but you need to make sure that each match is right for you and your family, and you need to make sure that children are matched with the right people.”

– Brandon and Adam, foster carers

The diverse world of fostering

Matching is a crucial process and the first step in creating lasting and loving foster family bonds. Children in foster care come from all kinds of backgrounds, and we need a diverse range of foster parents to help support their unique needs.

People from every background, regardless of relationship status, gender identity, sexuality, race or religion, are welcome to foster with us here at Fosterplus Scotland. To be a foster carer in Scotland, you’ll need to be over the age of 21 with the right to work in the UK and a spare room which is suitable for a foster child. Other than that, we’re seeking out people with great personal qualities who will make fantastic parents.

Are you interested in fostering in Scotland? Enquire with our team today!

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Whether you’re ready to apply or just want to find out more, get in touch with us today

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You are required to have a spare bedroom that’s always available to a foster child. The spare room cannot be shared, and must be big enough to fit a single bed, a wardrobe and a chest of drawers.

Do you have a spare room?*

To be approved as a foster carer in the UK, you must be a British citizen or have the legal right to remain in the UK without restrictions that would prevent fostering.

Which of the following applies to you?*

How can we help you?*

The following questions are intended to help us understand your experience with children. Please note that prior experience is not required to become a foster carer, as full training will be provided.

Have you had children of your own?*

Do you have professional experience of working with children?*

Do you have professional experience of working with children?

Have you had any prior experience of fostering, such as being a foster parent or growing up in a fostering family?*

Have you ever adopted a child?*

Are you happy to receive regular fostering news from us?*

Yes

No

First Name*

Last Name*

Phone Number*

Email Address*

Postcode*