Fostering in Prestwick
With over 25 years experience expertly matching children with foster carers, and providing full support that families can rely on.
Interested in fostering near Ayrshire?
There are hundreds of children across Scotland in need of a loving foster home and we’re looking for more passionate and committed people to join our team and make a difference to a child.
Based in Prestwick, our fostering team supports families and children living across East, North and South Ayrshire, Arran, Dumfries and Galloway.
After 15+ years in Ayr, we recently made the move to our beautiful and bright office in the heart of the vibrant town of Prestwick. This move has allowed for better accessibility, parking and opportunities for our carers, children and staff.
With all our local offices rated 'Good' by the Care Inspectorate, we've built a strong reputation for quality. The support you'll receive as a foster carer will include your own dedicated social worker, expertise from our local team, full professional training and regular support groups, 24 hour helpline, and generous payments of up to £2,290 per month, per child.
If you’re interested in becoming a foster carer and would like to know more, chat to our friendly team today.
By phone
Call us at:
0800 369 8512
Out of hours:
03332 205041
Enquire online
You can get in touch by filling out our online enquiry form with any queries that you may have.
Your local team
Unit 6
Ladykirk Business Park
Skye Road
Prestwick
KA9 2TA
Statement of Purpose
Duty of Candour
What is fostering?
Fostering means offering your home to provide a safe, loving family environment for a vulnerable child. Foster homes are needed because there are times when it’s not possible or safe for children to stay with their birth families.
We provide many different types of fostering, including short-term (up to 2 years), long-term (until the child turns 18), emergency and respite placements. We also provide staying put placements for young people aged 18-21, and more specialist foster care placements, such as parent and child fostering and caring for children with disabilities or those seeking asylum.
Your role as a foster carer will involve caring for a child and carrying out typical parenting tasks. You will help support them to heal from difficult past experiences, as well as facilitating contact with birth parents and siblings. You will also attend training and meetings, and keep records of your foster child’s progress.
Generous payments
We offer a fostering allowance of up to £2,290 (tax free) per month, per child, plus holiday and birthday payments, and many other benefits.
Full support package
You'll be connected to the support you need 24/7, ranging from a dedicated social worker, regular support groups and social events, and an out of hours service.
Specialist training
We offer full, personalised training - online and in-person - from teaching the basics to advanced courses, to help you develop your skills as a foster parent.
Excellent outcomes
With all offices rated 'Good' by The Care Inspectorate, we pride ourselves on quality and being a fostering agency families and children can rely on.
Shona's fostering story
Shona is a foster carer based in Glasgow. She's been fostering for several years, alongside her job as a Primary Teacher, and has found many transferable skills from teaching that have helped her in her fostering role. She has provided over 45 foster care placements, and is currently caring for two children on a long term basis.
Who can become a
foster carer?
The main requirements to foster a child are:
- Aged over 21 years (no upper age limit)
- Have a spare bedroom
- Have the legal right to work in the UK
You do not need any experience or qualifications, as full training is given – but it’s important to be passionate about wanting to make a difference to children’s lives.
There are also no requirements regarding background or family circumstances. Foster parents can be single, gay, married or straight and we encourage applicants from all ethnic backgrounds to join our fostering team.
Speak to us today if you have any questions.
The fostering process
Step 1 - Enquire
To find out more about fostering, you just need to complete our enquiry form (or call us on 0800 369 8512) and we’ll chat through everything. Whether you’re just looking for more information or you’re ready to apply, our team are here to help.
Step 2 - Home visit
If you're happy to proceed, we'll arrange to visit you to share more information and answer any of your questions.
Step 3 - Application & Assessment
Once you’re ready to apply, you'll complete an application and we'll carry out our checks and complete our Form F assessment. The whole process generally takes between 4-6 months.
Step 4 - Approval
Once your assessment is complete, you'll attend a panel meeting. We'll discuss your application and you’ll then be officially approved as a foster carer.
Our local team
Our team are friendly and supportive, while being professionally skilled to support you in all areas of fostering, helping you to be the best foster carer you can be.
We are passionate about the work we do, and actively find ways to make a difference in our local community - from our regular charity events and fundraisers to our annual collection for Women's Aid Ayrshire, and working closely with a local charity to help support vulnerable woman and children. We'd love for you to join our team!
#KeepingthePromise
"Our ethos at Fosterplus is very much around providing continuity to the children and young people we care for, so they feel safe, secure and able to build nurturing relationships with their foster families while maintaining positive connections with their birth family too.
We achieve this by carefully matching children and young people with foster parents who can meet their individual needs and provide a loving home for as long as it's needed. We also ensure that our foster parents receive the support they need to overcome challenges and establish long-lasting relationships with the children they care for.
We're fully committed to #KeepingthePromise and are working hard to make ongoing enhancements to the services we deliver to children and young people in our care." Chrise Grundy Hoban, Head of Operations
Already fostering?
We try to make things as simple as possible to transfer to us if you’re looking to change from your current foster care agency or local authority.
The first thing to do is to speak to our fostering advisers and we’ll arrange to visit you at home to have a chat about what’s involved.
Areas we cover
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