One Month In.....

[MommaT]

We have had our LO with us for one month now and 'it has been intense' is and understatement! 3 1/2 weeks without a contact schedule meaning we were informed of details on a daily basis that is when they remembered to inform us...on several occasions the support worker just turned up for her or didn't as the case may be, we were rarely informed of cancelled contact, sitting like numpties ready and waiting! Received a schedule last week so things would be better right? WRONG! Turning up in the morning when it should be afternoon and still un-informed or very late informed cancellations, (this morning being 3 minutes before pick-up).

We met Mum at a Looked After review which was erm interesting shall we say, un-answered phone calls, no reply to messages. (I must add that our ssw/link worker is excellent).

BUT.....Fostering is the best thing we have ever done, it is amazingly rewardng and fulfilling and our LO is progressing brilliantly, she really is a star.

Are these experiences normal, I dare say they are! Ha Ha x

Hello! We have been fostering for nearly a year now and I have come to the conclusion that you cannot really plan anything and to go with the flow ( this early lesson started at the assessment!)

Contact is generally planned dates up until the next lac (which is useful) but these are often cancelled (normally at very short notice!)

Often sw has to be chased for information (email, phoning and sometimes both ) but sw often seem to have a lot on their plates...

Meeting parents-one of the hardest parts...

But fostering is definitely the best thing we have done (just dreading having to say goodbye )

well our sw devised a system were by the parents have to turn up before or at the time we leave for contact so to ensure they are their and we don't have a waisted journey.
they then ring us we leave and they are waiting when we get their which is how it should be and if they haven't turned up by the time we need to leave to get their on time we dont leave and don't have a waisted journey

after our last foster childs mum missing nearly 120 contacts it was the only way i would agree to have another child

you should be having a contact review and personally i wouldn't let them get away with too much or your be seen as a softie

i love being a foster carer

We're a month in with our second placement too!

At the moment, contact is working out ok, but its early days.

Momma T you definitely need to complain about contact! I'm quite a pushover but would not put up with that. I transport to and from contact though and would be furious at the cost of a wasted journey, not to mention the LO being ready to see a parent and being let down or the disruption to a baby's routine.

Contacts are often erratic at the beginning of a placement while details are being worked out but the social workers/contact supervisors should be able to work out at least a week at a time.

Oh I have complained, each and every time but it just seems to fall on deaf ears! There was no schedule for 3 weeks.....not enough workers, no rooms etc. I don't think it's too much to ask for them to give me a quick phone call to advise me of cancellations, time changes etc (I understand that sometimes BM cancels at the last minute and therefore notice would of course be very short), I don't transport to contact so at least there is no wasted journey and while I agree that SW's have too much on their plates, when I leave a message concerning the welfare of a child in my care I expect it to be answered! The LO's SW went on leave without dealing with a request we had made, despite numerous messages/reminders, it certainly appeared that she was just avoiding the situation and so it was left to a contact worker to deal with. Thankfully, the outcome was favorable. x

momma t don't we all i think you will find child's sw not returning calls is a gripe of all foster carers.

i would speak to your supervising and ask her if yoy can have a contact review

and in that meeting ask child's sw if a plan can be made for mum to either arrive 15 minutes before the start of the contact or confirm that morning by phone so you don't get child ready ect

if no luck i would ring the child's guardian personally i think this messes children up in some cases more than being removed

make sure you are making recording of all the times you have phoned and left messages

good luck