Could anyone talk to me about long term fostering?

[carriebrody]

I am a total newbie to fostering though have a close relative who does short term fostering of babies/toddlers and moves them on to adoption. I am interested in becoming a foster carer too but older children and on a more permanenant/long term basis as I think this would be better for my own young children and general family stability. I don't think I could spend 6 months or a year looking after a baby and then give them up!
Is anyone doing a similar role?

I've fostered long term and have had teenagers with me who have gone on to independence at 18. What would you like to know?

Thanks for your response. Did you start off doing long term or did you do short term first? Are you with an LA or agency?

Hi, I work for my LA, and have had my fdd for 10 years. started off doing respite, and wasn't long before we agreed to have our fdd until she grows up.

How old was your fed when she moved in with you Gym, was the plan always for her to stay permanently?

Would anyone mind telling me what their day-to-day is like? Did you need to commit to taking a fc to a school a distance away or could they move to a closer school? Is there much contact with birth families? If you have birth children at home, particularly younger ones, how much did your lifestyle have to change?

We started short term but after a year became both short and long term. We have had several children placed with us over the years who have been matched as long term placements,however not all of these placements have worked out and some of the children have moved on. We have had children at local schools but also up to an hour's drive away (a taxi was provided for that one). Some have a lot of contact, some have none.

Our little one is now long term, now aged 8 came at 4. Plans changed from emergency, short term to adoption then long term.
It is a very big commitment to make. We recognise that they will stay with us until they are ready to leave, no matter what age. Ours were all teenagers so it was like starting all over again.
School was a 10 mile drive each day for over 2 years while all options for child were covered.
Now we are at a local school.
Contact was 3 times a week. When long term was agreed contact was reduced to monthly.
Personally I would have found it really hard if my BC were young. There is lots of running around to do especially when FC is first placed. The FC needs must come first and you cannot always rely on your support network.
Sometimes we do hanker for our old life, when things were so much easier ( we have very challenging behaviour) but we are so attached and love FC very much that we know that this is best for them.
We have very good relationship with parents, so this helps a lot.
We had a family meeting before we committed to long term involving all close family so everyone could voice their concerns and we made the decision as a family. As I said it is a very big decision to make and you all need to be 100% committed.