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[SimpleAsABC]

is the process for becoming a kinship carer as long winded as the process for becoming a foster carer? ie would i need to do the training course? i'm in scotland if that makes any difference.

thanks

Sorry simpleas ABC have only just seen your post. Need to know more details really and don't know if things work differently in Scotland but don't think they do. You wouldn't have to do the training course to be a kinship carer but you would have to undergo a thorough assessment, and a lot of the issues raised in the a/ment are the same as for people wanting to foster on a non-kinship basis. Kinship care comes under the same Regs as ordinary fostering and so you would have to be approved by a Fostering Panel after the a/ment and hopefully a positive recommendation from a social worker.

Kinship a/ments are complex of course because in the main the parents of the child are the son or daughter of the applicants. Sometimes aunts etc apply to foster a relative's child but it is usually grandparents. One of the important considerations is whether the applicant is able to put the child's needs before those of their son or daughter (not always easy) but absolutely essential in order to protect the child.

Sometimes the child is already living with the relatives and this makes a/ment a bit easier because you can see if the child is being well cared for and the relatives can protect the child if necessary.

If you can give me some more details I may be able to help further.

The relative is an aunt, do you think this makes any difference?