To wish there was an easy way to help vulnerable families.

[lalafafa]

Ive looked into being a foster carer but can’t commit full time to it yet.

I could commit to respite care but very few Foster care agencies will take you on as there’s too few and it wouldn’t be financially viable to train you up.

I’m very lucky that I’m financially stable so could easily do respite for free but would obviously need all the training.

After speaking to a few friends they would also like to do this, maybe a weekend a month, a few days in the holiday.

Homestart? I think that's only one day a week.
Local church? /other religious organisations often have vulnerable members they help.

You should think carefully about the language you’re using when you’re talking about fostering. It really isn’t an easy way to help vulnerable families.

I think you’re underestimating what fostering is like if you think you could easily do respite care. It is also very easy for your friends to say they’d love to do it when there’s no actual commitment to signing up.

You could also volunteer as a tutor/homework helper (they used to do this at the library pre-coronavirus).

I used to do some voluntary work for a charity now called Beanstalk.
It's primarily to help children who are behind with reading - but it's actually about child having an interested adult in their life.

It's not about trudging through the school reading scheme - you take story books with you and hopefully start a lifelong interest in reading.

You go twice a week and see the same three children each week for 30 mins each per visit.

You then play a game or do a puzzle with them.

Some of the children I worked with had no books at home and had never been to a library.

I've wasn't aware of respite care through agencies- all the respite I know is arranged through the Local Authority.
Contact your children's services and ask.
My friend does respite during school holidays, as she works FT in term time, but there's always children waiting for placements.
Please give them a ring- they will organise all the screening/training etc.

@Chameleon2003

I used to do some voluntary work for a charity now called Beanstalk. It's primarily to help children who are behind with reading - but it's actually about child having an interested adult in their life.

It's not about trudging through the school reading scheme - you take story books with you and hopefully start a lifelong interest in reading.

You go twice a week and see the same three children each week for 30 mins each per visit.

You then play a game or do a puzzle with them.

Some of the children I worked with had no books at home and had never been to a library.

This sounds brilliant. Only in England unfortunately, not UK-wife.

Some great ideas, I’ll definitely look into it.

My advice would be to find local charitable groups and either offer time or money. Facebook is an excellent place to find these groups, it’s the only reason I use Facebook. If you put your locality and charity into the search engine I bet you would find a huge list and you can join and see what work they’re doing and see if you could help out.

@PurpleDaisies

You should think carefully about the language you’re using when you’re talking about fostering. It really isn’t an easy way to help vulnerable families.

I think you’re underestimating what fostering is like if you think you could easily do respite care. It is also very easy for your friends to say they’d love to do it when there’s no actual commitment to signing up.

I’m not saying fostering is an easy way to help out, I know it’s not, that’s why I can’t commit at the moment. Other posters have pointed out easier ways to support and it’s good to know.

@Haskell

I've wasn't aware of respite care through agencies- all the respite I know is arranged through the Local Authority. Contact your children's services and ask. My friend does respite during school holidays, as she works FT in term time, but there's always children waiting for placements. Please give them a ring- they will organise all the screening/training etc.

During our initial Foster care introduction s respite carer came in to talk about it. One woman had given respite to one family over 3 years and it was on going. Mainly to support a parent with mental health issues.

Could you volunteer with safe families? Could offer respite with them

@Igotmyholiday

Could you volunteer with safe families? Could offer respite with them

Thanks, just reading up on them.

Another of my colleagues gives respite care every weekend to a family with a child with a disability. Again, that is organised through the local authority.

And if you are considering foster caring please, please use the local authority not agencies. Using agencies is taking money away from vulnerable children, and into the private sector, even if an agency is not for profit.