Who Needs Foster Care -
In Dumfries and Galloway, we need homes for children of all ages from babies to teenagers. There are many reasons why children come into foster care. Around 60% of children are in foster care because of neglect or abuse. This can take a wide range of forms, including sexual, physical or emotional abuse. Many children can be affected by parents who are misusing drugs and/or
alcohol, poor parental mental health or living in an environment where domestic violence is present. In such cases, children will be temporarily placed in foster care until it's safe and stable enough for them to return home. If it's decided it is unsafe for them to return home then plans will be made to find them a permanent family whether this is kinship, foster care or adoption. When children come into foster care it's important they are able to stay with their brothers and sisters so we need people who can care for sibling groups as well as individual children. We are always keen to ensure that we have a variety of different carers who are able to meet the needs of vulnerable young people who have experienced trauma, abuse and neglect throughout their early years. This can sometimes impact on the young person's ability to keep themselves safe from harm or risk, make it hard to form healthy relationships and sustain school attendance. We have at times required carers who can offer a home to mothers and babies. This involves offering advice, guidance and support to enable a parent to gain skills and confidence in caring for their baby, and to allow the baby to remain with their parent. Sometimes we require carers who have knowledge and experience of caring for children with additional needs both physical and emotional. This might be working in partnership with other carers or family members to provide short breaks. A growing number of asylum-seeking children are entering the UK, all of whom will need to be placed in foster care. Many of these children have experienced traumatic journeys and face an uncertain future, in an unfamiliar culture. Who needs Adoption -
Children of all ages from babies and toddlers to children of upper primary school age need adoption. Sometimes there are two, three or more brothers and sisters who need to live and grow up together. Some children may have been abused or neglected in their past. Other children may have physical or learning disabilities. The one thing all these children have in common is that their parents are unable or choose not to care for them and they need a new family to care for them as they grow up. When we place children for adoption we tell prospective adoptive parents everything we know about the children, including their experiences and family histories. However, there's a lot of information that we don't know, and for many of our children we are uncertain about their expected development. If you are a habitual resident in one country and wish to adopt a child that is a habitual resident in another country, we can carry out an Intercountry Adoption assessment. Please contact us for further details and we can explain the process to you.
