First Placement!!!

[chocaholic2011]

Ahhhh!! we've had the call!!

After panic and a sleepless night thinking of all the things I needed to do I think we are readyish!

Do very young babies come with milk and bottles (lo transferring from another FC.)

Any questions to make sure I ask? Or an idea of what will happen when LO arrives would be great! Or even general advice as its been 10 yrs + since i've looked after a baby- hopefully will be like riding a bike!lol!

Wish us luck!!!

xx

[Minnerva]

Hello Choco,

When our first baby placement arrived,like you we had not cared for a baby since the birth of our last dc-13 years!

It IS like riding a bike and you will soon fall into a routine-I am almost a little jealous :).

If the baby is transferring from another fc they should supply most things that you need practically-except for obvious big things like a moses basket-cot-car seat etc......but definitely milk and bottles so you can continue the routine that is already in place.

Good luck and best wishes,
Minnerva
xx

[scarlet5tyger]

First question I'd ask would be what baby's routine is. Also when contact is if it's already been set up.

Baby should definitely come with milk and bottles if coming from another FC - there are so many different types of bottles nowadays that even if you've got some ready you can guarantee they'll be different to the ones baby is used to!

A social worker (or two) should bring the baby to you and will probably stay for a little while, then when they leave I always spend time just cuddling baby so they get to know me (mine have all come from hospital so I do this before they're discharged)

Good luck!

[maypole1]

Ask for their memory book and bank savings book


If they don't have these things I would be very very


P don't let them try and give some photos either it needs to be a proper memory book


The child we got came with no savings and some picture of which we had no clue who the people were of when they were taken it's the current cares job to make sure the child has a recoded of there life so far.

[maypole1]

Oh yes make sure you have your memory book ready to record the first day Ect


Also bank accounts in the event their is a issue with I'd credit union will give you a junior saver no questions

[Minnerva]

Oooh don't forget to make sure that you are given the red health book.........

[SquidgyBrain]

congrats on your first placement - how exciting :) Interesting reading this tread to see what should be coming with a little one

[NanaNina]

You will be fine OP - they should have told you whether baby was coming from home, hospital or another carer, more likely to be home or hospital. Social workers are all different and those who don't have kids (especially the blokes) tend to forget about essential equipment. In fact in the l.a. that I worked in we used to make sure that after approval carers were set up with everything they needed if their aproval was for babies. Ask the sw about these things before the placement,

Maypole - it is most unlikely that a baby is going to have a life story book - this is usually done later, and in some l.a.s it's not done at all because of pressure of work. I am not condoning that, but it isd important for the child to have a life story book in thefullness of time, but I have never known one come with the baby. Also why a bank savings account book - ?? why do you assume there will be one. Seems highly unlikely that if this child is being removed from parents, that such a thing will be in existence and if there is, it can be kept in the child's file.

OP I don't want to put you off, but sometimes you get asked to take a baby and it doesn't happen. This is because when the social workers are going out on a visit where it looks exceedingly like a removal, they will ask the fostering team for a plct, and then maybe it is not as bad as they first thought, or there is relative who can care for the baby etc. Worse still the really bad sws forget to phone the foster carer!

I hope this baby comes as it is exciting to have a first placement and it will all come back to you, sleepless nights and all!

[NanaNina]

Sorry choc - just re-read your post that baby is coming from another foster carer, so yes the babe will come with everything and you will be able to discuss the baby's routine with the foster carer and that's the best way for a first placement.

Good luck

[maypole1]

In my la all foster cares have to start a saving account with in 2 weeks of getting the child.
I wonder why you wouldn't expect child to have savings from their current foster placement.

Why would a child not have a life story book your supposed to chart their life from the moment they arrive and certainly by the time they leave you should have started something


Sorry but I find it awful when foster carers don't bother to do this because of y Los old foster carer had no pictures of what lo looked like when a baby or any of her milestones no recoded of when lo arrived with old carer I am not talking about. a LIFE STORY BOOK which is different from a MEMORY BOOK or BOX

We were only handed a few random pictures of whom we don't know whom any one is

[scarlet5tyger]

In my area the life story work is done by the contact centre, not the foster carer. Most carers I know compile photo albums and I know I also use the photo album to record special events - ie, I'll write little comments about birthdays in there (what party theme we had, what presents were received, what LO liked on the days etc) and the same for holidays and other special events. I don't get involved in the actual life story work though (ie the reasons LO was removed from home, why the Judge made the decisions s/he did)

We don't do savings accounts either although it sounds a good idea and I'm now going to look into opening an account for my current placement. What happens if baby goes back to parents though?

[scarlet5tyger]

Maypole - just re-read your post and saw that the savings account is for ID purposes - I thought all looked after children now had to have a passport for ID purposes? I know that's the case with my LA.

[maypole1]

No not life story don't do that we are talking about the same thing a memory book special events, holidays ect..


No we have not been able to secure a birth certificate or a pass port as the parents who have their children in care voluntarily rarely give these things with out a fight.


Can't go on holiday and it's a nightmare if you want anything official done god forbid speaking to the social worker changed their mind


The only place I have found that will give you a savings account is your local credit union


It's comes in the form of a card with the Childs name on it and you pay at pay point shops you can put money in but cannot take money out and as we are the ones who register and counter sighn for the card if the parent trys to get the money released they will inform us and as the money is for the child when they turn 18 or go into independent living.

I would Alert the sw

My lo has 1k in savings as I save up all Los dla money

But in regards to what happens if their returned we I guess thats the same for anything we get for the kids while their with us just hope sw have done enough work with the parents that they don't flog their stuff or raid their bank thats all you can do.

But it makes me mad when I get children form other carers with in my la who haven't been arsed to save or saved like £10 just shocking

These children have no parents to fall back on and I feel the least we can do is make sure when they get to 18 they can afford to buy some carpet


Rant over saving for them is very dear to me

[chocaholic2011]

Hi all thanks SOOO much for all your comments/advice. Really made me calmer!

Wise Nana Nina was proved right! After 4 days of "tomorrow", "tomorrow""tomorrow". finally chased my lovely SW at close of business today to be told LO has gone to family member. Not too disheartened as is best for LO am sure.

Shame to have wasted so much sleeptime worrying about it all though! time to dismantle cot and pack away blankets!

Thanks again everyone - will keep you updated!

[chocaholic2011]

Hi all thanks SOOO much for all your comments/advice. Really made me calmer!

Wise Nana Nina was proved right! After 4 days of "tomorrow", "tomorrow""tomorrow". finally chased my lovely SW at close of business today to be told LO has gone to family member. Not too disheartened as is best for LO am sure.

Shame to have wasted so much sleeptime worrying about it all though! time to dismantle cot and pack away blankets!

Thanks again everyone - will keep you updated!

[NanaNina]

Oh what a shame choc - I know this drives foster carers round the bend and it sounds like no-one bothered to phone you - very bad manners in my opinion, and I always used to remind the sw to let the carer know if the child was being placed elsewhere, or to let the link worker know to phone the carer.

Maypole - I'm sorry but I am really confused by your post. Why should foster carers save money for the child. You mentioned DLA, which of course should be saved because a parent has the right to know what is happening to that money, so every penny has to be accounted for and the carer needs to ensure the sw is aware of any money that is needed to be used from a child's DLA just to be on the safe side.

I have never heard of foster carers saving for a child before, only in the case of DLA which can be a substantial sum each month. In fact I recall a case where the foster carers spent all the money in a child's DLA account before she moved to another placement, some of it on the child, but some on presents from the child (who was not able to understand this notion) to them and their children. It was a huge amount of money and I'm afraid we had to de-register the carers.

I think the child in care needs some kind of book (call it memory book/box or life story book) to chart his/her progress through care, but I still don't understand why you think this should come with the placement. I have never heard of that either.

It is possible to get a passport for a child in care, but if the child is not on a Care Order I accept it can be more difficult but should not be beyond the realms of possibility. I can understand the nat parents not wanting to give up the birth certificate, and the chances of them already having a passport are remote. However a good sw should be able to persaude the parents to allow them to apply for a passport on their child's behalf which is what happens if the child is on a Care Order.

Obviously don't know which LA you foster for, but they seem to have some strange rules for their carers.

[SquidgyBrain]

:( Hoping your first placement starts soon

I know when we were waiting, I knew it was a good thing that there wasn't a LO needing our care, but it was still frustrating to wait - you just want to get started.

[maypole1]

Well I guess I am a foster carer who wouldn't do less than I would for my own


I find it very odd why a foster carer wouldn't


Also i. Find it very odd why you would not take photos keep sakes of a child


The question is why would you but why not

My la requires me to save and do a memory book be even if they didn't I would do it


I chart and have keepsakes for my child

I save for my child

So why would you not do it for a foster child

Why should a bio child be the only ones who get to look back on baby pics and summer holidays

Sorry I am going now to upset that any one would think alll children don't deserve the same

[fostermumtomany]

i get very upset when lo's dont have any pennies.
my first little one left with over £4000 in his savings account.
it really annoys me. as foster carers i was told not only did we have to give them pocket money (seems silly for a baby so i just added it to his savings account) but we also had to have a savings account for them.

as for life story, we dont do it here, the contact centres do, but i always put aside first tiny babygrows and vests, first shoes, babies first christmas stocking or tree ornament etc. i buy my own photo albums and pop pictures in with a little note of what was happening etc.
i like to give these as a gift to adoptive parents or to birth families as they miss out so many firsts.
i also try to video any firsts but that isnt always possible.


as for your lo he or she should come with everything, that said my current lo only came with summer clothing and it was quite cool when she came to us. she also came with lots of leggings, and as she was in a hip brace these were totally impractical.
ask the currnt fc what clothing the lo is coming with and whether you need to buy milk etc. and finally

do not accept this placement without first having the PIR or it is an illegal placement.

most of all enjoy it, i am very jealous, nothing beats that first call as a foster carer

[fostermumtomany]

oh no how did i miss that the lo isnt coming!!!!

im so sorry! i woudnt pack the cot away just yet though, you never know when that call is going to come,
my cot stays up permanently as you just never know.

oh i am sorry what a dissappointment for you.

[Rubyx]

We have a new system now that a certain amount per week is deducted out of the payments to us and goes directly to the a savings account. No hassle, no messing about. This will stay with the child until they are returned home or until they turn 18. I have two in temporary foster care and the money was deducted from my payment the very first week. I am happy with this.