lancashire LA?

[Flojo1979]

Hi
Title says it all, just making initial enquires and it seems LAs r very different from one another and i keep getting mixed msgs about how viable being a foster carer is. So if anyone is with lancashire LA i would love to know your story.
Thanx!

hi where in lancs are you as i am on the border of lancs and yorkshire.
so i can foster for either authority.

i may well be able to advise you on everything. and give you the names of the sw's that do the assesments xxx

Ah small world then!
I'm in chorley, sounds like your LA is tough then
Just got info pack off them this morning, they said they'd ring next wk, tho tbh after everything u said i'm quite put off!
I guess the reality is quite different from what i expected!

dnt be put off, our yeam will be different to your team.
they have several teams throughout the area, mine is famous for being bad.

i have a friend who fosters for chorley and has never had a problem so go for it.

i will ask her to join this forum so she can advise you if thats ok with you.
she is lovely and has been fostering for over 30 years now.
she has heaps of experience and knowledge. much more than me an di have been fostering a good few years now.
she is the one i turn to when needing advice or a shoulder to cry on.
also when youfirst start fostering you will be given a mentor. this will be a carer who has been caring for a long period of time.

please dont be put off, you seem to be a caring person and would be a fab foster carer.

keep going hun. you never know until you try.

Yeah i'd love some local advice. Not put off as such just not such i can manage the time constraints and not sure they'll accept me without spare room and not sure they'll think i have enough support.
But like u said, i can only be honest with them and hope its enough!

Hey Flojo.. I'm in the next border to you, but literally about 10 mins drive away.. we were actually in Astley Park today feeding the ducks... very small world...

Hope you decide to go through with it - its not an easy process and doesn't happen quickly but I would do it all again

Yeah small world p99, so how do u find it?
I keep bouncing form yeah really up for it and then, like today, me and DC2 poorly and thinking how would i cope with 3!

I'm a real beginner.. only doing it 4 months and we don't have any other children in the house, so we can 100% dedicate our lives & time to it...

It has made a huge impact on our lives, and it did take some getting used to...

I love it. Its frustrating, its very emotional, its frightening, I live in limbo - the 'unknown-ness' of it all I find very hard to deal with - I'm the type of person who likes to know what is happening, timescales etc, and with fostering (or at least in my short time of fostering) you don't get much security, and seem to be the last to know anything.

Saying that, our LA I find brilliant - no complains whatsoever - I get great support, the money is good (altho I think we worked it out at something like 3p an hour) and I don't think we'll ever have to wait long for a placement (as we are not picky).

I can't advise you on what is best for you and your family. Be under no illusions that it will change your life (it HAS to be for the better) and that if you think you've not got much time now.. gosh, with all the running around to contact, meetings etc etc you will have to do!! Just make sure you've got a great support network around you.

Good luck,

Which LA r u with?

Bolton

Ah def just over the boarder then, I'm horwich born n bred

We have been fostering with Lancashire for a year now and found it to be brilliant, loads of support and one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. There are challenges but when you feel supported they are easily overcome. We can't believe how much it has changed our lives for the better and would recommend it to anyone who is considering being assessed!

I've taken an interest in this thread because we went part of the way through being assessed as foster carers by Lancashire a few months ago but had to pull out because of some family issues on our part. As far as it went they seemed very good, lots of support, and training etc. We were thinking of reapplyng to Lancs again this year once we are sorted out. I will be interested to see how you get on Flojo...

Hi Bingo, not heard from them as yet, and very much still on then fence, thinking i might wait til my 2 yr old starts school..