About us
Foster Care Associates (FCA) Scotland took on its first foster child in 2002. Today, we’re supporting over 100 children and young people in communities across the country. With 20 years’ experience, we’re an established fostering specialist.
Involving people and improving services since 2002
We’re one of Scotland's best respected fostering organisations, that's been rated "Very Good" by the Care Inspectorate across all areas of our service. This means we’re able to offer exceptional resources, support and expertise to help change the experiences and life chances of children and young people.
We have a dedicated focus on supporting foster children and foster carers in Scotland. Our statement of purpose is ‘to make a positive and lasting difference to the lives of children and young people’, and over the last 20 years or so we’ve helped hundreds of children and young people take steps to a better future.
Part of our family
We want foster carers and the children they look after to feel they’re part of our large family. Everyone has a voice, and we make sure we listen. It’s this sense of involvement that makes people choose to foster with us – and you’ll experience it in everything we do – from our unique Team Parenting™ model and ‘Buddy Scheme’ through to our forums for children and foster parents. Our ‘passion for participation’ has helped us create a positive and empowering culture where everyone feels respected, valued and able to contribute.
Two local teams based in Glasgow and Rosyth
Supporting 100 children & young people
Working alongside over 100 foster parents
Supporting children & young people since 2002
Working together to become even stronger
By involving everyone, asking for ideas and feedback and collaborating together, we’re able to continuously improve and develop our services. In Scotland, for example, we’ve recently introduced even more support groups and events and activities, along with an email ‘hotline’ direct to our management team. As a leading fostering specialist, we’re also involved in many pioneering fostering initiatives, such as supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. So when you join FCA Scotland, you’ll be joining a dynamic, professional organisation that’s always striving to be better - and always wants you to be a part of it.
Our expertise and commitment to fostering has been recognised by The Care Inspectorate for Scotland, who rate our work as ‘Very Good’, reflecting the hard work and contribution of everyone here.
FCA Scotland is part of Polaris, a leading UK community of children’s service providers. Together, we’re changing lives of children in every corner of the country, including in communities across Scotland.
We are a community that remain focussed on the values at the heart of our organisation while striving to enrich our social value for those we serve and the wider society. This includes opportunities we offer staff, foster carers, adopters and our children and young people, but also how we work with suppliers, create job and training opportunities and our impact on the environment.
Aiming high at FCA Scotland
FCA Scotland offers high quality family placements and related support services to children and young people who are looked after by local authorities. Our primary aim is to give children and young people the opportunity to achieve their full potential and to live fulfilling lives in the community. We work in partnership with local authorities to offer community based services within national frameworks, designed to meet a wide range of needs. We provide intensive, locally based support to our foster carers, children and young people and their families via multidisciplinary teams of childcare professionals.
Our Vision, Mission and Values
Vision
What we aim to achieve:
To make a difference to children, young people and families that lasts a lifetime
“Every child is one caring adult away from being a success story.”
Mission
Our purpose and what we do to achieve it:
Our mission is to provide safe and happy lives for the children who come to live with us.
For children and young people:
- We aspire to help our children reach their full potential
- We respect and promote a child’s racial, cultural and religious background and consider their gender and sexuality when finding the right family for them
- We understand the importance of stability for our children and want them to have a sense of belonging within their foster family, birth family and community
- We strive to ensure our children are ready and equipped for the next stage of their lives.
- We want our children to have the ability to be independent in their thoughts and actions and make positive contributions to society as adults
For foster parents:
- We take the time to understand trauma and harm and adjust our care accordingly
- We recruit, assess and train foster families in such a way that equips their journey to ensuring children are safe and happy
- We listen and empower our foster families. Through consultation, support and learning they are equipped to meet the individual needs of children
For all:
- We are proactive in promoting equality and tackling all forms of racism and prejudice in order to help achieve a better society for our children and families to thrive
- We promote a learning culture wherein staff and foster parents build and maintain expertise in the field of children and fostering and work collaboratively with our professional partners
- We are compassionate and discreet in our approach to working with children and their families
Values
Our core principles and ethics:
“Safe and Happy” is the core of our being
- An intelligent, compassionate, creative, loyal, and adaptable approach to the delivery of fostering
- Security, safety and autonomy for our children, fostering families and staff
- Treating families and colleagues with respect, honesty, kindness and care with appropriate challenge where needed
- Leadership that models the vision, mission and values and behaviours to which we aspire
Interested in becoming a foster parent with FCA Scotland?
Do you have the skills and compassion needed to be a foster parent? Enter your town or postcode to find your nearest office or get in touch today.
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