Can you be a foster mum with your own baby?

[friendswithacat]

Or when pregnant?

I have about a zillion other questions but those two will do as a starting point

[user1484226561]

well, it would be a silly time to start, but your social workers would assess whether you can continue with established fostering relationships. It would depend on many things, and the judgement would be made on what is in the best interests of the fostered child, and whether the fostered child would be likely to be risk to the baby

[StillaChocoholic]

Most local authorities like your children to be at least two years older than the child you are caring for.
I'm a foster carer and pregnant but I was a carer before being pregnant, if I had applied whilst pregnant they would have probably told me to wait until I've had baby and baby is older.

[user1484226561]

if you are offering a home to a child you are related to, that would be considered. If you are starting a career as a general foster carer, that will have to wait.

it is perfectly possibly to start being assessed as a foster carer with a baby, and to work as a foster carer with your own little one, but no reputable agency is going to place unrelated foster children with someone about to give birth, or with a new born.

You cannot assess what a family is going to be like at those stages. You will have to wait, so if you start being assessed when the baby is 6 months or so old, depending on the timetable for assessment ( quite often they only start at certain times of the year) then you will be able to start when the child is one.

Or, if you are an established foster carer, there is likely to be a maternity leave, same as in every other job, although in some cases, an established relationship may continue, especially if it is a child you are related to.

[user1484226561]

Most local authorities like your children to be at least two years older than the child you are caring for.

I've never had this. My children were often younger. But not new borns

[friendswithacat]

Thanks! Appreciate your advice :)

[StillaChocoholic]

That's why I said most. My local authority were clear that they'd have preferred my son to be a bit older before I started fostering, he was one at the time and about 18 months by the time I was approved. They also were quite insistent on me looking after teens rather than younger children and they felt the age gap was better.

[OwlInAnOakTree]

My LA will only start the assessment when your birth child is 2. General rule is that they like you to foster younger than your own children, but I didn't want to foster babies and was approved for older children without any problems. My son had just turned 3 when our first FC was placed with us.

StillaChocoholic, interestingly, I wanted to foster teens and every SW I met in my LA tried to talk me out of it, and I was approved for 5-11 year olds. Whilst fostering a 6 yr old, I realised my own instincts were right (the age gap is too close and the needs to similar) and so I'm now fostering teens. I like the sound of your LA!