Fostering siblings long term - Q's.

[weewhile]

Hello all
This is my first post and I would appreciate your point of view.

We are registered FC's who have recently moved from England to Scotland (without any LAC). We are lucky enough to have space in our new house for two children and we would like to offer a sibling group permanency.

I'm very confused as to whether I should apply to our new LA, or an IFA? We are still registered with our last LA.

Are sibling groups who require permanency automatically referred to IFA's because they are more difficult to place together and if so, how do the agencies sustain fees/allowances for all the children for the whole duration of a long term placement? It's really hard to find info/statistics about this.
Also, does anyone know whether younger groups of children typically find adopters or could we expect to care for children under 6 years old?

Thoughts please on the Pro's and cons of LA v's IFA?

Fostering IS my life, profession, career, vocation...call it what you will.
Thanks.

Hi Weewhile :)

I have never worked for LA only IFA so I can only give an opinion on what I know really.
I have a permanent sibling placement, they came to me at 5 and 6. They were considered too old for adoption and too difficult at the time so needing long term fostering. By the time the court case happened we had bonded as a family and it would have been too damaging to move them so I was granted long term care.
The agency I work for have lots of other long term placements and it offers the LA a discount for long term too.
The kids came to me as an emergency and there was a plan for them to return home within a month so you never really know how it will turn out!
Working for an IFA to me means I have fantastic support and training and the kids get a good financial package enabling me to meet their needs easily.
I'm with you on the "fostering IS my life" its so true :)

Hi Weewhile, I'm sorry I can't answer most of your questions but I do know my own LA don't automatically refer sibling groups to IFAs for long term care. A lot of the long term LA carers I know have sibling groups. Most of these are over 6 which I think suggests that younger children do tend to find adoptive parents, but don't quote me on that!

I do know that my own LA seem to be splitting sibling groups much more often these days. When I first began fostering it was considered the absolute last option, but now they're doing it before looking at IFAs.