Want to foster a sibling group long term, how to I find children???

[LadyEarth]

We have been fostering for just over a year and our children (and us) are finding it difficult to keep saying goodbye. We have decided that long term/permanent placements are for us. Having raised this with our SSW a year ago we have yet to have a suitable referral.

We have had two possibilities of children who are very similar in age to ours which has raised concerns about matching (i.e one child would be in the same class as one of mine and already feels self-conscious that he doesn't do well at school, she is a high flier and the contract was felt to be unhelpful). This means that we have an upper age limit of 10 which I know will have a big impact, but we also live in area that (luckily) has plenty of foster carers and relatively few children needing placements. How can I spread the net to find children in other authority areas? It seems silly that we have this loving home waiting and there are other children who are being shipped from one short term placement to another because they come from an area where there is far higher pressure on services.

We have signed up to "be my parent" which also includes some children who are looking for foster care but most of the family finder organisations seem to be exclusively for adopters. Any suggestions? Or agencies/authorities that would be useful to contact?

Not sure how it would work fostering a child from another area long term as their SW would presumably also have to agree to all the extra time spent travelling for visits. Plus I've learnt the hard way that local authorities are VeRY much against spending their budget on a child who will in effect then be living in another borough.

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, and I know it certainly does for short term placements, but I've no idea how it would happen. Sorry. I'd just advise you to keep harassing your SSW!

(Not sure your upper age limit will restrict things that much - I have two much, much younger siblings looking for long term carers at the moment)

Thanks Scarlet. They do all seem to be very parochial. 40 years ago my Aunt and Uncle were about to be approved as adopters after a long process and bought a new house for their new family. The new house was a couple of miles outside of the LA area so the LA rejected them they had to begin the process (another 2 years) all over again!!!

Its frustrating that the system is so fragmented. Drives me potty when I see information/adverts/TV programmes bemoaning the lack of foster carers who will take siblings! And here I am with empty beds :(

Suggest you contact Authority's which work in partnership with each other
like Greater Manchester with 22 LA's who work together, Mainly for Adoption, but think there would be a large proportion of sibling requiring long term permanency, would contact Manchester social services and ask of their Advice. , or other similar LA's., Most Greater Manchester LA's are in close proximity of each other.
Good luck