fosterers adopting - why some SW so anti?

[LuxuryTrifle]

Just curious - seen several threads where fosterers deeply what to adopt their fostered children, but SW are opposed. Why on earth would there be resistance to that?

(I gather such resistance may be changing with new initiatives. It seems so obvious it would be lovely for the child to stay where is already loved and settled.) -

For us, we foster little ones for our LA so birth families are generally local-ish.

I constantly watch my back, think about where I go, where I park my car etc.

I choose that life, but I accept that in some circumstances, it is better for a child to have a long term freedom where they aren't going to be constantly running the risk of bumping into their birth family.

I would have desperately loved to adopt our baby placement, but I do absolutely believe she was better moving out of area.

Foster carers are very precious to LAs - they dont want to lose you..

Ah I see - those two points make sense. Thanks

I am a sw and it drives me mad to. I had to fight and fight for one of my foster carers when they wanted to adopt a little girl but it pretty much ruined her reputation with the 'powers at be' and she went to a private agency in the end but she got to adopt the little girl and it was the perfect family for her! I agree about the la not wanting to lose foster carers. You are supposed to be robots you know, who never really connect with a child so much so you would like them to stay where you can offer them a wonderful home!!!! With babies some sw believe people go into fostering to short cut the adoption process and there is a 'waiting list' for babies and the adoption team are very against as they see it que jumping. But the winds of change are coming there is a definite move towards this mindset and fostering to adopt (which does have some issues) but I totally agree it's pretty indefensible less moves the better! I am no longer a la sw and now work freelance there are only so many injustices you can cope with and it has to be said there are a lot in fostering!!!

I am loving your comments Slippersmum, how true. I am a foster carer. I was asked when being assessed, did I want to adopt or foster, and I wanted to foster. However things changed when my current baby was placed from birth, I fell in love, and I asked to adopt him if things went that way. I love this child, who calls me mummy, and has been a part of my family for 2 years. The LA, and in particular the Adoption Manager were very hostile, even though both SW's who know us are supportive, and believe my adopting him is the right decision for both of us. I am currently being assessed, and have been given a date for panel. If you read current legislation written by Edward Timpson MP, it states that "foster carers should be actively encouraged" to adopt the children they have been bringing up, if its appropriate. The attitude of the LA's need to change. Yes, they may loose a foster carer, but there are far more people applying to foster than there are applying to adopt. There are thousands of kids waiting for a forever family, and foster carers should not be treated as if they are second best.

We were often "accused" of wanting to foster so we could adopt, I never understood why they were saying this as we clearly said we wanted to foster. What you said about "jumping the queue" makes sense now, but we did not know about that since we always hear about there now being enough adopters. As it stands we would love to adopt our current foster baby as we have fallen in love, but we can foresee there will be a lot of opposition (although our SW is very positive about it).

I am a SW too and whilst I have advocated for some carers who want to adopt, some I have not, just because it wasn't the best way outcome for that child. I have never been focused on the resource I am losing by a foster carer adopting, just on the needs of the child, budgets and strategies are for senior managers to worry about as far as I am concerned. I have completed an adoption assessment as a fostering worker for a couple who adopted having worked with birth mum on rehab home, then contact, and then only when it was clear that the outcome was permanence via adoption did they advise the would like to. It is a fantastic adoption and they can tell the little one all about her mum in the best way possible.

There are those who come to fostering in order to adopt, it isn't so much queue jumping for me that matters, tho it does, as being emotionally fraught. If you go through an adoption assessment and prep training, the idea is that you are going through a process at the end of which you are prepared to care for someone else's child and a child who has experienced neglect/trauma/abuse. Where a child should remain with the carers if the outcome is not rehab home, this should be concurrent planning or foster to adopt, processes might be frustrating at times as are some SW but they are there for really good evidence based reasons.

Sparkles, it's my experience from talking to many adopters that the prep "training" they receive is less than that of a foster carer, and absolutely in no way "prepares" them for the difficulties they are going to face. The last child I moved to adoption, earlier this year, moved to parents who told me categorically that attachment issues weren't covered in training. The child they were adopting had a clinical diagnosis of RAD and PTSD.

With the new rushed adoption assessments there is no longer time to cover all bases, I get that. But there's no longer any "thinking" time for prospective adopters to research areas themselves.

If you'd put across points like children needing to move for security issues, I'd agree completely. I can even understand the resources argument. But to argue that an adoptive parent is more "prepared to care for someone else's child and a child who has experienced neglect/trauma/abuse" than a Foster Carer is just wrong. What do you think I do 24 hours a day? I'm the one who takes these damaged children before they're ready for adoption! and yet is strong enough to help them leave me once they are ready.