Fostering in London? Advice/information needed please

[Riverforest]

Hi! Just looking for any advice/information really, we are prospective parents.

I have a 5 year old son and a 18 months old. I am a part time primary school teacher so I have taught LAC and worked with agencies around them. So I have an idea of what types of traumas they can experience and how this manifests. Obviously every child and trauma are different.

We are hoping to start the application in perhaps 4 years when my youngest is around six. (Long way off I know, but I just want to do as much research as we can to make sure it’s right for us). My husband works in financial services. We live in London in a very deprived borough.

What are the rough ages of children that are matched to you? We are hoping to foster children just starting primary school age so 5 but not sure whether there are many children needing a foster home around that age. Can’t have younger children as council have said one parent would need to be home full time. I teach 2 days a week and am unwilling to give up my career I love and am good at. I doubt I’ll return to the classroom on a full time basis. Husband works full time. So the council have said as I want to continue working 2 days that I can only foster 5 + but I wouldn’t want to foster children older than my own... We live a very privileged life and feel so blessed. We have two spare bedrooms on our top floor no one ever uses. We are in a deprived area where they are crying out for foster Carers and having taught children in care I have some experience and feel we might be good family for fostering... just seems the age expectations are a bit mismatched...IM probably being too unrealistic or too narrow... sorry for waffling... anyway if there’s anyone from London, I’d appreciate your advice. And any information on the ages of children that need fostering. Do they tend to be 7+? how often are 5+ children needing foster care? Are many siblings? Thanks again.

Hi Riverforest,

Thanks for posting - we're no experts but we hope some of our lovely posters will be along soon to offer your their advice and support.

We believe local councils offer fostering training and information evenings so that might be a good first port of call.

Good Luck

I am an agency foster carer and there are children of all ages coming into care. I know of a few carers who have babies and our child came to us aged 4.
Usually the child needs to be 2 years younger than your birth children.
The child also needs to sleep on the same floor as you so you would need to move yours to the upper floors.
In our area being able to take sibling groups is a great bonus so having 2 spare rooms is great.
I would think carefully about fostering when your children are young though.
Most of these children have experienced a lot of trauma and have additional needs that are not noticed when they first come into care. These children become your priority.
The needs and wants of your own children come second to theirs. You will have a lot of meetings and medical appointments when they first arrive. You will probably have to take them for contact with their parents so if your husband is working you will need to find childcare or take your children with you.
My youngest child was 13 when we had our first Foster child, I felt this was the right age for us, I would have felt guilty not being able to be there completely for them if they were any younger.

Thanks I really appreciate your opinion.

Im a foster carer but not in London. I agree with Cassimin. FC have a lot of contact/meetings/appointments that you have to attend. I have 2 under 5 and it is very hard work but amazing too. I waited until my youngest was 18 and had finished A Levels 2 years ago. They would bite your hand off with 2 spare rooms but like Cassimin said they do have to sleep on the same floor as you (even though your own children don't have to). They are a priority so you have to consider that and what effect it will have on your own children

Thanks, I really appreciate any advice.

I think I may have to re think timings. I really don’t want to be making bold moves like moving my children to another floor out of their room for potential foster children for fear of my biological children resenting them or me.... really didn’t think about that at all... and didn’t think this was a stipulation... perhaps I’ll wait until they are older and understand. Thanks again.