Share the Care

Share the Care

Share the Care is East Lothian Council's short breaks service for the families of children with disabilities.

The service is run by the Children's Disability Team. It provides essential support to children with disabilities and their families by offering regular breaks in a carer's home, the child's home or the local community. These breaks:

• give children the opportunity to take part in different activities and make new friends
• give parents the opportunity to spend time with others or to recharge their batteries

Share the Carers

We are looking for families or single people who can care for a child at regular intervals throughout the year and can provided any or all of the following:

• day-time support
• overnight support
• weekend support
• school holiday support.

To become a Share the Carer with East Lothian Council, you need to:

• contact a member of the Disability Team to arrange a visit with a member of the Share the Care team
• attend a Share the Care information event
• attend a Share the Care Preparation Group
• apply to become a Share the Carer
• complete Statutory Checks
• participate in an assessment
• attend a Fostering Panel to gain approval for Registration as a Share the Carer.

Following  approval a member of the Share the Care team will consult with you to match your strengths to the needs of children waiting on a Share the Carer.

Download the Share the Care leaflet