Do you need a pristine house?

[SOTIRIA]

My DH and I have thought about fostering as we kind of provide respite care on an informal basis which we really enjoy. However, my friend who is quite house-proud has been turned down as their house was not good enough. How clean and tidy do you have to be?

I'm no expert but we were character references when some friends adopted and one of the questions the s/w asked us was how we felt they'd cope with the mess a child brings. She confessed she was worried they were too tidy and might struggle with the house being a tip!

i am a FC and I can assure you that pristine is NOT a criterion - I currently have 5 kids at home - some mine, some FCs, and I assure you that my home is a tip most of the time - there are dust bunnies multiplying everywhere!

Its clean, but untidy.

I would think that your friends were turned down due to not having a suitable room, or for having a really sterile environment, or for just not being the kind of people that SW want to look after vulnerable kids.

op. Did she say those words, that her house "was not good enough"?
That wouldnt necessarily mean that it wasnt clean enough.
It could be things like there wasnt a spare bedroom, or the bedroom was too small.

Also, found this.

www.medway.gov.uk/pdf/minimum_space_policy.pdf

My friend told me that the SW said that the house was shabby (it isn't) and that they remove children from homes like this and that the children's bedrooms were untidy. I think there may be other issues that have not been mentioned but why would the SW make such an issue of the state of the house.

I am worried that I will be turned down because of my house.

With respect, I dont think that what your friend is telling you is the truth.

The only other thing I can think of is it may be just that particular sw, but I doubt it.

You would not necessarily get the same sw.

I really would not let this put you off, tbh.

Why were the children's room untidy if they aren't fostering yet? Was your friend going to stick a fosling in a junk room? I have come across that suggestion before and of course that's not ok. If you mean your friend's own children's rooms were untidy or not clean, well that might be fine with older children but it surely isn't ok for little ones that can't clean after themselves.
They are desperate for carers and the SW must have picked up something wrong.

After 37 years of fostering and still going strong, They like a normal practical house, not too tidy , but homely, We don't like housework just open the windows now and then too blow the dust out.
Kids are immune too infections. Very true.