Going back to when you were first approved as foster carers

[Rubyx]

Hi all,

Just curious as to how long between you being approved until getting your first placement.

3 months, Placement for 3 weeks, then another 5months for next short term placement, then another 8 months for a full time placement who has been with us for 1 year now.

I do know of a couple who had a placement lined up before they were even approved, so they waited for 3 days between approval and first placement.

Are you fed up with waiting op?

Wow some big gaps..

we were only approved yesterday so i was just curious as to how long on average people wait for a placement. I know it is all dependant on matching so how long is a piece of string. So you are enjoying it so far? Anything i should watch out for? or other hints and tips would be appreciated thanks

4 weeks for first placement which is placed just now .

Remember the waiting well...........

(Congrats firstly on getting approved :) )

We waited 10 weeks for our first placement who was here for 30 weeks, and this time round it would have been 3 weeks, but was 5 down to us being on holiday.

Enjoy your free time and get any odd jobs/craft projects finished now would be my tips!!

Well done you.
We got our first placement the day after panel. We knew before panel that we were being matched with this child. We had already visited him at his carers home. That was 7 years ago. We take three children at a time and have never had a bed empty for more than a week.

9 days... bet you jump every time the phone rings!!! & yes huge congrats x

We had our first placement before being approved. Not good practice by our LA!

Thirteen days. It all happened so quickly from phone call to arrival- two and a half hours!

Thanks all of you for your comments. I am jumping everytime the phone rings and have a lovely job of trying to scan 20 years worth of photo's onto the computer which occupys my spare time :)
So excited!!!!

Hope you don't have to wait too long Rubyx. The waiting is so exciting. I still jump when the phone rings in between placements after 7 years.
Let us know when you get "the call" wont you and good luck.

Our sw rang us to say panel had approved us as foster carers and an hour later rang to ask if we would take an 8 month old baby boy the following morning.

He was with us 5 months and we adored him It's very strange to think that somewhere out there is a grown man of 24 going on 25 who has no idea, in all probability, that he had such an impact on us all.

We had a 7 week wait till our first placement (this one!), which is a respite. Another respite is pencilled in a few weeks' time. So it looks like we will have gaps for a bit (although our spare room has just been confirmed as suitable for siblings, so maybe the gaps won't be that long after all!!)

Still waiting ( Sigh sigh sigh) :)

Me too! 4 months now.......

4 months,,, i was hoping when they said it could take a while they really didn't mean it. What is your criteria if you don't mind my asking? Mine seems pretty flexible, 0-18 with preference for 0-12.. male or female, respite and short term

4 - 10. We're with LA, and they need carers for babies and teens, and when children do come along in our age group, they seem to come in sibling groups, and we've only room for one child.
Did get a call yesterday regarding a placement, but they didn't need us in the end.
Won't be long for you I'm sure.

Thanks,,, we are asian so that may affect the matching but we will see. Good luck at least you are getting calls and they are thinking off you.. my ssw was saying 8-12 is the more common age to be getting. we have a double room and a single so can house sibling groups... be a right handful if i had three ;)

Keep us posted

Are you allowed to say which LA you are with?

I don't know if we can or not... but mine is birmingham, there are plenty of asians here but not our particular minority community so we will see how their matching process works

Still waiting, we had a call from the SW who said she hadn't had any referrals all week and then 4 in one day but not ones that match us..

Hey everyone. It's happened.. we had a call last night and 3 children ( siblings) an hour later. What a handful but such lovely kids! A bit grubby but intelligent and well mannered so the mum was doing something right and i really hope SS sort out any issues quickly and get these kids back home.
They seem to have settled well, hope the next few days go as smoothly.

Congratulations on your first placement. Hope they all settle well for you and great that you were so well prepared with only 1 hours notice. Good luck.

Wow! 3 kids at an hours notice for your first placement? Your head must have been reeling!

Hope things go well for you all.

I hope it all goes well for you Ruby. It is exciting when it does happen isn't it! Keep us posted. xxx