Our first placement - any tips?

[Lotsofchooks]

We were approved last week with our LA and had our induction yesterday. Our Supervising Social Worker was on Duty yesterday and rang us to see whether we could take a newborn baby which isn't due until early January - have been told it will be for 40 weeks.

I would appreciate any tips from more experienced people than we are - not so much the looking after baby, but looking after a newborn who is 'in the system'.

Thanks.

Hi, No advice really! Just wanted to wish you all the best!

S x

No tips as such, I'm afraid, but I will be watching this thread with interest!
Let us know how it goes.
Bottersnike
x

Lotsofchooks - it isn't really possible to give you much advice as each situation is different. It sounds as though a decision has been made to remove this baby at birth which sometimes happens if the concern is great enough. Just a little word of warning - quite often foster carers are asked to take a placement and then the situation changes and the plct doesn't materialise. Not saying this will happen in your case but all exp foster carers will tell you how annoying this is - especially when the sw forgets to tell you the plan has changed.

Not sure how they can know how long the plct will be for at this stage. There will be lengthy court proceedings which can often go on for months and months (up to 2 years) in some cases. There will undoubtedly be contact arranged between the baby and birth parents but these days this is often done outside of the foster carer's home. You will need to try to remember about treating the birth parents with as much respect as you can, though this can be difficult. It may be a young mum with mental health problems or learning diffs. You could always ask your fostering sw for more details about this placement.

Good luck! Don't really have much else to add as we foster older age groups so a lot of the issues will be very different!

Thanks for your good wishes - we have ended up getting a different placement - on Monday we brought home a premature baby. We have to take her to contact everyday, so very time consuming at the moment alongside all the other visitors/appointments.....she is lovely though!