Disability fostering in Scotland

Specialised fostering for children with disabilities or additional needs.

At Aberlour, we celebrate every child's potential. Disability fostering offers you the chance to open your home to children with additional needs, children with disabilities who require specialised care alongside the nurturing support every child deserves. With a history spanning 150 years and a network of dedicated foster carers across Scotland, we understand that while fostering disabled children shares many similarities with fostering physically and mentally able children, it also calls for a few important additional considerations.

What Is disability Fostering?

Disability fostering involves providing a secure, loving environment for children with disabilities, ensuring their unique physical, emotional, and developmental needs are met. Like all fostering, it is centred on stability, love, and support, but it also includes adapting your home and accessing specialised services that can help these children thrive. By choosing disability fostering, you are not only offering a safe haven but also embracing the opportunity to learn, grow, and develop special skills that make a life-changing difference.

Considerations for potential foster carers

When selecting to foster a child with disabilities, you enter a rewarding yet distinct journey that involves:

Specialised Support: Disability fostering may require adjustments in your home, specialised equipment, and training to address medical or educational needs. Aberlour provides comprehensive training and 24/7 support to ensure foster carers feel confident in handling these extra requirements.
Emotional and Practical Commitment: Caring for a child with disabilities often means investing additional time and attention. However, the rewards are immeasurable as you build resilient, trusting relationships and help a child flourish despite challenges.
Community and Collaboration: Just as with any foster care, disability fostering is about joining a supportive community. Aberlour's team and experienced foster carers, many of whom have been with us for over 20 years, stand ready to offer guidance, share experiences, and celebrate every success with you.

Similarities and differences to fostering physically/mentally able children

Similarities: Like all fostering, disability fostering is anchored in providing a nurturing, safe, and stable home. It's about offering care, forming lasting bonds, and making a profound, positive impact on a child's life. The core mission remains the same, helping children heal, grow, and discover confidence.

Differences: When fostering a child with additional needs, you'll often engage with tailored support plans and may need to adapt your living environment to accommodate accessibility requirements. This form of fostering may involve closer collaboration with healthcare professionals, therapists, and specialised educators. The process is more hands-on in terms of addressing distinct challenges, but it also brings unique rewards and memorable experiences that enrich your life as a carer.

Why foster children with additional needs?

Fostering children with disabilities is a deeply fulfilling endeavour. By embracing disability fostering, you provide children with essential support that enables them to engage with the world in their own unique way. You have the opportunity to:

Make a significant difference: Your support can transform a child's outlook, enabling them to overcome obstacles and celebrate their successes.
Develop specialised skills and compassion: Disability fostering enriches your fostering journey, allowing you to gain specialised insights and develop a deeper sense of empathy and resilience.
Join a supportive network: At Aberlour, you're never alone. Our dedicated team and experienced foster carers provide ongoing support, ensuring you feel equipped, valued, and part of a strong fostering community.

Take the next step

If you feel inspired to make a real, transformative impact in a child's life by embracing the rewarding challenges of disability fostering, we invite you to learn more about this rewarding opportunity. Reach out today to enquire about joining Aberlour's network of foster carers. Your home, compassion, and commitment could be the key to unlocking a brighter future for a child with additional needs in Scotland.