Who can foster?
We'd love to hear from you, whatever your background.
To be a potential foster carer in East Lothian you must:
- Be single, married, in a civil partnership or living together in a stable long-term relationship
- Be over 21
- Have experience of children and young people
- Have working arrangements compatible with fostering
- Be a team player
- Be fit enough to meet the challenges of looking after active children
- Agree that the use of physical punishment is not acceptable
- Have an inclusive, non-discriminatory attitude
- Both be available for training if applying as a couple
- Be able to provide a foster child with their own bedroom, although sometimes younger brothers and sisters can share
- Be able to provide a safe environment
East Lothian Council will not place a child in a house where anyone smokes, has issues with drugs or alcohol or keeps dangerous animals as pets.
What are the statutory checks?
As well as a Home Health and Safety Check and where required a Pet Risk Assessment, each participant will be assessed over a period of up to six months in a Homestudy. The following statutory checks are also carried out:
- Disclosure Scotland check
- Medical references
- Local Authority check
- Employment history and employers' references
- Personal references
- Previous partners