niece going into foster care.

[Auntietomany88]

hello,

first post here so please be nice,

i learnt last night that my niece and her siblings (they have a different dad, not my brother) are soon being placed into fostercare.

i hate the thought of my niece going into foster care, she could stay with her dad where she has a bedroom but she has stated she doesn't want to.

i have thought i would to offer to have her but my only problem is, i only have a 1 bedroom council flat, i have no idea if the council would consider moving us to accommodate her? does anyone know if that is even a option? she is 15 so i feel like placing with a foster family will not be easy.

I'd take her if she will.come. the council will move you.

You will get her child benefit and tax credits as well

Perhaps she doesn’t want to leave her younger siblings, OP?

Have you asked what she thinks

I would make an enquiry with the social worker, definitely.

Hey, sorry to hear that, I think she's going to be a lot better off with you rather than in the care system. You should get moved by the council into a 2 bed.

Dear god! Such outdated advice. There are no more tax credits. It's all UC. It's quite punitive. Similarly, the council may not move you, may view your doing this as voluntarily over-crowding, may refuse you permission to move her in or send you to wait for years for accommodation in shitholes.

Get some sound advice from social work, also she might not want to be separated from her siblings.

My concerns would be

• what about her younger siblings
• the financial implications. You would get child benefit but it doesn't go far
• the council will try to move you but if a 2 bed place is not available they can't create one by magic

A 15 year old will come & go to school unsupervised. There needn’t be substantial financial implications.

Why doesn't she want to go her dad? Surely that's the first option?

I'm guessing but maybe she wants to stay with her siblings, more than she wants to live with her dad

I would wonder why she has not chosen not to go to her dad's, assuming she has. What relationship does she have with him or you ? Is she bring protective of her younger siblings, assuming they will be kept together?