As the UK’s biggest foster care awareness campaign begins, Health & Social Care Moray (HSCM) is encouraging more people across the county to consider whether fostering could be right for them.
The Fostering Network’s Foster Care Fortnight, taking place from 12–25 May, is shining a spotlight on the incredible contribution foster carers make to the lives of children and young people.
Foster carers play a vital role by providing safe and loving foster homes to children and young people who currently can’t live with their birth families. Across Scotland’s communities, they offer stability and support for however long it’s needed which helps children grow and thrive.
There are currently 38 fostering households in Moray, but more are needed to meet local demand. When more foster carers are available in local communities, fewer children and young people have to be moved out of the area, enabling them to maintain connections with friends, schools, and the people who matter most to them.
This year’s Foster Care Fortnight theme is ‘The Power of Relationships,’ highlighting the strong, trusting connections at the heart of successful foster care – whether between children and foster carers, relationships with birth families, within fostering communities, or through the ongoing support of social workers.
HSCM will be marking the campaign with a special event in Elgin on Wednesday 21 May, honouring some of Moray’s long-serving foster carers and celebrating the life-changing relationships they’ve built.
Among them is Elgin resident Nicola Hunter, who has fostered more than 30 children and young people since starting in 2012.
Nicola, who was single at the time and had never had a birth child of her own, was feeling unfulfilled in work and life when she saw an advert about fostering and decided to learn more.
“It took about a year to be approved as a foster carer and almost immediately I began meeting a young person who had just turned 13. She had been with other foster carers and I was to be her permanent placement,” Nicola said.
“We had ups and downs but nothing we couldn’t work through thanks to the strong relationship we developed. She stayed until she was 20 and now lives locally with her partner and young child.”
After Nicola and her partner, Raymond, moved to a bigger house, she began providing short break care and is now a full-time foster carer.
“Each and every child and young person has brought a new experience, new ideas and made us think differently. I remember all of them and still see some of them,” she said.
For those considering fostering, Nicola said the initial Skills to Foster course run by the Fostering Team is helpful, but nothing beats real-life experience and strong support.
“You think you’re prepared, but fostering is a journey. That’s why having a good, cohesive Fostering Team to support you is so important. We get a lot of help and excellent communication from them,” she said. “Reflective practice has also been really valuable – it gives you time to explore your own feelings and reset when needed.
“Fostering is hard work and you’re well aware it’s someone else’s child you are caring for, but it’s such an enriching experience.”
Foster Care Fortnight is an opportunity to recognise the dedication of foster carers like Nicola, said Jim Lyon, Interim Chief Social Work Officer and Head of Children, Families and Justice Services. He will be joining Moray Council Chief Executive and senior leaders to host a civic reception later this year to honour Moray’s foster carers.
Mr Lyon said: “There are many ways to change a life, but few are as powerful as fostering. Welcoming a child or young person into your home as a foster carer doesn’t just shape their life – it enriches yours, too.
“Fostering isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being present. Ordinary can be extraordinary for a child in foster care which is why the everyday moments – like a chat after school, helping with homework, or simply being there to listen – can make a child feel safe, valued, and like they belong.
“Taking the first step into fostering can feel daunting but you don’t have to have all the answers and you’ll never be expected to do it alone. We aim to complete the assessment in six months and our foster carers in Moray become part of a strong, supportive local network. With generous allowances, excellent face-to-face training, and experienced and supportive social workers by your side, we’re with you every step of the way.”
Foster carers come from all walks of life. Whether you’re single or married, raising your own children, working or retired, the HSCM Fostering Team can help you find a fostering path that fits around your life.
Mr Lyon added: “If you can offer stability and care, you can offer the loving foster home a child or young person in Moray needs. Fostering changes futures.”
To start the conversation about becoming a foster carer, call 01343 563568 to chat to the Fostering Team, or drop an email to DutyPlacementServices@moray.gov.uk. Visit the Fostering pages on Moray Council’s website (www.moray.gov.uk) for more information in fostering – including who can foster, types of care, training, support, and allowances.
