should i or shouldnt i??

[Flojo1979]

I always thought about fostering for past ten yrs, since then have had 2 kids, a 5 yr old and a 2 yr old.
How specific can u be about who u foster?
I'm worried they'll send an unruley older child, when i'd prefer a baby, babies can be hard work but at least i know they aint going to trash my house and teach my DCs allsorts? Or am i approaching this all wrong?
Also i know i wont get support from my parents, they'll think i'm mad for wanting to do it, they'll tell me its not fair on my own children to have to share me and they'll say the child wouldnt be welcome at theirs etc.

If we require a babysitter we can only leave LAC child with a babysitter who has satisfactory CRB checks in place. Unfortunately the SW has not got around to providing CRB forms for our chosed family members to fill in. Oh hum another 10 years of no social life coming up for me then.

Also people do not realise that LAC children are not allowed to visit friends homes for tea or sleepovers at friends (for birthday etc) unless the friends parents have been CRB checked.

Very tricky if own child has also been invited. FC then has two chooices.

1. Allow own child to go but not allow looked after child to.
2. Do not allow either of them to go and sit through the rest of the evening with own child telling looked after child s/he is ruining their life.

We are well aware that LAC are not allowed, by Social Services, to develop their social skills but it really should not impact on own child's experiences if parents have no issue with said friends family members.

I think here guys, we again need to be careful in not taking 'it as gospel' what people are saying.

Each LA/IFA will have its own rules regarding things like babysitters etc and when quoting what 'we' can and can't do I think perhaps 'we' should make it clear that this is 'their' policy and not make sweeping blanket statements.

It certainly may put some people off.

In our LA, yes, a babysitter would need to have a CRB check done with SS, but as for visiting friends/sleep overs etc - a CRB check is no longer required - we need to provide the address to SS who will do a 'check' on it which takes minutes - we are allowed to use our own judgement as to the risks involved - basically, if we would let our own child do it, then we should let the FC do it.

As a 'newbie' myself, I just worry that we could potentially put other interested people off by quoting all of the red tape which does not necessarily apply in other LA's or IFA (e.g. medicine).

Just my twopennies worth anyway

We have had just the lac (2004)4; guidance on the delegation on the decision on overnight stays for foster children.

www.rights4me.org/content/yourrights/23/YOUR%20RIGHTS%20Overnight_stays_LAC.pdf

My la dose not require this nor do you you need to get crb clearance for a child to go to a party even overnight stays don't need the parents par mission if its less than four days

Please the links read print off and show to your sw ladies.

I so glad y la sent all its carers this guidance because their we so many ruemors going round about this and I guess that wanted us all to be clear that our foster children are to be given the same oppatutines a child would having living with in their own family

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/LocalAuthorityCirculars/AllLocalAuthority/DH_4074388

I dont use a babysitter with my own DD (support is very limited), tho i wonder if anyone knows if u have a preschool child whether u can use a nursery or is that frowned upon?