Referrals and matching

Our Referrals Team expertly match children and young people with suitable foster carers.

Each year we receive thousands of referrals from local authorities looking for foster homes across Scotland for vulnerable children and young people. Our aim is for the children and young people in our care to have a positive fostering experience in a stable, caring and secure family environment.

How we match children and foster carers

Our Referrals Teams spend time getting to know our foster families, the more we can highlight their skills and experience to the local authority, the more likely we can ensure the right match and the better the outcomes for the child and foster family.

Matching is a critical part of the fostering process as it defines the success of the placement. And that’s why we take it so seriously. By getting it right, children, young people and foster carers have a positive and more rewarding experience. The key to a good match is building a strong relationship with our foster carers, in order to get to know them and their family.

How matching works at FCA Scotland

Whenever a placing local authority wants to find a foster home for a child, they’ll let FCA Scotland know. We then get to work finding a suitable match.

Our expert Referrals Officers take a lead in this process. They will receive referral information which includes key details about the child, including their location, age, gender/sexuality, past experiences, language, culture and educational achievements, and of course there are other factors to consider. The Referrals Team then work alongside our social workers to identify potential foster carers who may be a match.

Matching foster carers and children

If a potential fostering family is identified we will share information about the child with them. This is all very open and transparent, so the potential foster carer has a true insight into the child and their background. If they decide the placement isn’t for them, that’s fine. There’s no pressure or judgement. It has to be the right decision for everyone involved.

If they’re happy to continue, we’ll all work together to put everything into place. Wherever we can, this includes an informal meeting between the child and the foster carers before the placement begins. Even if this isn’t possible, we encourage foster carers to put together a welcome booklet or video to help the child prepare.

Success of matching

Because of the care and attention we pay to matching, we have a great track record of successful placements, with over 95% of all the children we place remaining with their foster parents for six months or more.