Its Foster Care Fortnight and...

[2cats2many]

...one of the local foster carers in my area has started this blog to publicise Foster Care Fortnight and encourage more people to find out about fostering.

She's on day three and is going to post every day. Here it is if you're interested. I know she'd love some hits and some nice comments

Being a foster carer

[scarlet5tyger]

Maybe it's me being a cynical old foster carer but something about the blog just doesn't ring true. It's exactly the sort of thing the social workers at my LA would write to promote foster caring (no mention of baby Jack's huge meltdown on return from a 3 HOUR daily contact, no description of the complaint put in by baby Jack's parents because they don't like the way his hair has been brushed that day, no tantrums from any of the birth children because baby Jack's scribbled over their homework...).

Like I say, probably just me being cynical though.

[2cats2many]

Well she's trying to encourage people to find out about fostering in Foster Care Fortnight so maybe she didn't want it to be a warts and all account of her day. Mind you, its only day 3 of the blog so who knows. She intends to do it for the whole fortnight.

[NotmylastRolo]

Sorry but the blog sounds to me like it is written by a robotic stepford wife!!
I never read so much drivel.
Fostering is much more gutsy, frequently random, always hands-on, heart wrenching and wrings every last ounce of emotion from the carer.
I think that unless you are going to be absolutely truthful about what it is like to foster a child you will attract the wrong people.
Fashion accessories they ain't!

[musickeepsmesane]

That blog is terrible. It is hardly warts and all. Does she play with Jack? Does she live in la la land? It seems to be mostly about her. A blog of my day would be very, very different from this one! It is very frustrating to see things like this. Fostering is extreme parenting not this flowery rubbish.

[childatheart]

Forgive me but I am starting to think something is amiss with the figures produced by the media on fostering (fostering fortnight ?)

In my la we are approved from 4 to 18 and we know other carers approved for babies, siblings etc so pretty much the whole spectrum is covered. Guess what, none of us have placements and we all have spare rooms available ?? Call me sceptical but it does not add up with what is being published on a shortage of foster carers ?

[freddiefrog]

Childatheart - I think it depends where you are, as far as I know, the shortages are quoted nationally. Here, the shortage is dire and children are being sent out of area. One of my FC's friends has just come out of a YOI and has had to go to another county.

[Roshbegosh]

Who is this support worker referred to on the blog? I don't have one, unless you mean the SSW but she is there to supervise us, not to support us.
I know what you mean about spare carers vs shortage of carers. We can't get respite but when we offered it were told we weren't needed as they have plenty of people offering respite already.
Going through a bad time with our LA. Frankly, almost everyone we work with (when they materialise at all) are completely shite.
Support ... ha bloody ha

[musickeepsmesane]

Rosh I have a support worker. My SSW keeps trying to get rid of her. Costs money. Never mind I couldn't cope without her. I never knew I could be this able to stand up for myself. This is all for you cos I know how frustrating it all is

[Roshbegosh]

Hey music, you have made my day! Thank you x

[NotmylastRolo]

2cats2many, I found this link to a more realistic blog that gives a good idea of what it is like to be a foster carer.......

blueskyfostering.blogspot.co.uk/

It is very current so bang up to date. Enjoy!