I would like to hear your experinces please.

[Nessarose]

Hi My DH and I have started the ball rolling for fostering and we would like to hear your experinces and tips please.

Just to add an alternative view, I grew up in a household where my parents were foster carers. On balance, I'd definitely say it added to the richness of our lives (i.e the more children living in a house, the more playmates immediately on call!) but remember that children confide in children before they confide in adults. My assorted live-in playmates told me an awful lot about the fine detail of living with physical and sexual abuse before I was 12. Sometimes social services have no idea about the depth of abuse a child has suffered before they're placed, so what seems like a straightforward neglect case, for example, can be something far more sinister.

Not nec a bad thing in itself for children to know not all lives are happy, and I think now I'm much more attuned to spotting the signs of abuse when I come across them, but you might want to think about preparing your own children for hearing these things, and giving them more specific guidelines about when not to keep secrets, even when the confider swears you to secrecy.

I would like to foster but am a bit worried about the financial implications. I just know what I have spent in the last 4 years on ds but if you have a baby do they provide a cot etc.

Is it possible to do short term only?

Sorry for the hijack.

Posh, our LA pay an allowance of £124 per week for babies. Large equipment such as cots pushchairs ect would be paid for by SS.

You can do short term only but you need to realise short term can still mean a placement is with you for several years.

Hi poshtottie

We also foster with a local authority and are approved for age range 0-8.Payment is £290 fortnightly and we received a start up grant of £500 for essential equipment.

We are currently caring for 3 week old baby and although our grant was topped up by £250 so that we could cover baby eqiupment too, in reality it wasn't enough and we have spent over £200 since she arrived 2 weeks ago.I am not too concerned though as I only have to buy the stuff once and when this lo leaves us she will be replaced by another and so on and so on.

Short term fostering for us is anything up to 2 years-this is what we are approved for.

Good luck!

hi - just a newbie here - and wanting to know if you are allowed to request a change of social worker?
I had my initial first visit, and it felt like a complete grilling.
She asked me what my social life was like - and when i replied, that i dont actually go out - i prefer to save money, and stay in with the kids and watch dvds , tv etc -she point blank refused to believe me and said that they would be investigating it and asking famliy and friends to verify it.
This was one , of a few things that that she said which i was very suprised about - and i was left feeling quite deflated and confused.
Could i request a different soc worker do you think?