Fostering while homeschooling

[natcat86]

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this. Ds is 4 and will be starting reception in September. I have always thought that I would see how he got on at school but homeschooling has always been an option if we thought that would be best for him. I'm currently in the application process of becoming a fc through an ifa who specialise in placing children with some form of disability Or additional need. I appreciate that a foster child placed with us will have all the decisions about their education made by people other than me but will our decision to homeschool our ds be respected and accepted? Would it be a problem, a complete no no or just frowned upon?

Hi natcat I homeschooled ds for his SNs for 5 yrs. it takes up a lot of time and you get no break like parents who children go to school, so wonder if SS would worry about you not having a break at all?
However NT home ed is less intense than behaviour therapy which is best therapy for ASD (ABA).

Knowing you have good family support to give you respite might reassure SS?
I don't have any FC exp only HomeEd of SN ds

hi to be honest i don't think ss would go for that at all, last week i had 7 meetings alone for my fc usually all held between 10 and 4.

also you have lots of home visits were its inappropriate for children to listen in to that conversation how would you manage a vist by your support worker if you also hold a class with a 4 year old.

often depending what needs to be trashed out my meetings can go on for a couple of hours

also you will be expected to attend training and support groups which are are in the day usually with in school hours so foster carers with school age children can do school run.

even though you will be looking after disabled children you will most likely be expected to do school run attend school plays ect how will you juggle this with home ed

one more point as seaforyou said if your having a school age child this is also your time to wind down, do weekly shop, nip to hairdressers but if your home ed them i guessing you will be teaching.

sorry hope i have not scared you but just trying to be realistic

Hi just also wanted to say I don't think I would be a bout you home educating more that it's impractical hence them not really like carers who work unless they work flexi or shift work were they can be off during the day and usually they are only allowed to foster teens as foster carer is not involved in contact

My little fc was having contact 4 days a week and espically with a disabled child you would be having around 20% more meeting than any other LACK child

Thanks guys, thats what I thought. Like I said homeschool is something that is a maybe, but I definately want our fostering to be a definate so fostering comes first.

Oh no natcat your dc should come first...I wanted to foster when ds was 3yrs old and told 'NO WAY' at open evening...they said I had enough on my plate with ds home schooling/challenging behaviours/single parent etc I was yearning for a sibling for ds and still do but now realise they were right!
Anyway they called over 'Mary' a lovely warm nurturing woman who had fostered for years....she gave me the best advice ever, she said 'wait until your ds is older as you have enough to deal with. The only thing I regret was fostering when dd was so young as I could not give her all the time she needed. Be with your ds and come back in a few years when he doesn't need your time so much'. She talked about dc arriving in middle of night and how would ds cope with dc coming and going so lots of change and not understanding why due to language delay...practically non verbal at time!
Also natcat home educating is amazing and with all the appointments that come with any FC never mind SNs added to that you will not have the time to do both. When I take ds to his 15 appointments a yr at the different hospitals/clinics it can take most of day..parking, waiting, pharmacies, traveling etc....then you have school IEPs too.

Maybe wait until you have finished home schooling side of it and ds a bit older?

Agree with most of what Seaforyou said but I don't agree with the waiting till your child is older for me I wished I started eailer my ds was 5 when I started I think it easier as they just expect fostering as the norm it just becomes part of their up bringing and never know any diffrent

But sea for you is right in the sence you child comes first

Mrboangles maybe the fos mum was just saying that as making me feel better as could see I was truely gutted. She could see it wasnt right time and she put it a lovely way rather than the SW who said 'your ds will be bad role model but you can adopt a SN child here's the number'!
If I wasn't ready to foster I def wasn't ready to adopt so found that really weird!?

But what I am trying to say if natcat wants to HEd and esp if her ds is very bright she will be doing such the right thing as early home ed is the most important time to do it. It does take up a lot of time and having to add dc to equation with SNs who needs lots more support and more on top due to extra emotional distress then it is going to take up all natcat time. I do think it will be hard to do both at same time having had home ed my own ds with SNs.

I am sure though it was right for your situation and each family have a different set of needs and what is right for one isnt for another....I just want natcat for you to know if they do say 'no' it is because they can see the time may not be right with HEd and you can always go back when you have more time as it is very time consuming with SN dc.

sea for you

sorry hope i didn't offend just wanted to also give a different side did agree with most of what you said btw

Thanks guys, food for thought x

Oh ghosh no Mrbojangles thought it was very wise what you said and really think fos parents like yourself are truly amazing people and I hope natcat does foster but just think of her own wee man too as both roles very time consuming (home ed and fostering).