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Fostering
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Does anyone have/know anyone who has experience of foster caring?
I've been considering it for about a year now and have tried to research it as fully as possible on the internet, but (and I know this is going to sound silly) all I can find on it is really positive information!
There are lots of videos and resources put out there by fostering agencies which give you the general gist and videos of foster families obviously made for 'marketing' purposes', but what I'd really like to know about is the tough stuff; what it's really like day-to-day to foster children and the challenging aspects of it, so that I feel i'm fully prepared before I make a decision one way or another.
Could anyone help enlighten me a bit? Either from personal experience or better tinterweb research than I've been able to do?
I've been considering it for about a year now and have tried to research it as fully as possible on the internet, but (and I know this is going to sound silly) all I can find on it is really positive information!
There are lots of videos and resources put out there by fostering agencies which give you the general gist and videos of foster families obviously made for 'marketing' purposes', but what I'd really like to know about is the tough stuff; what it's really like day-to-day to foster children and the challenging aspects of it, so that I feel i'm fully prepared before I make a decision one way or another.
Could anyone help enlighten me a bit? Either from personal experience or better tinterweb research than I've been able to do?
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If you have two foster children and one of them ends up in hospital and the only accomodation the hospital can offer you to stay in is the parents room with two beds, one for you and one for the other foster child you'll then end up with a review because you shared a room with one of your foster children, oh yeah, and you'll get no support from social services or the social worked the whole time you're at the hospital over the weekend with on ill foster child and another who's bouncing off the hospital walls.
It will be nigh on impossible to get a babysitter, because they've all got to be approved by social services and generally notified in advance.
If you've got anything other than ideal kids working may well be difficult. Kids are in care for a reason, and have a high truancy rate. There are rules about who you can leave home alone and for how long, so you can forget leaving a 12 yr old at home while you pop out to the petrol station round the corner for milk.
One of my friends is a foster carer. I could go on, but probably better at answering questions.
That said, she's been doing it for a fair few years now, so there are up sides.
I think, independant agencies are supposed to be better for not dropping you in it.
http://www.fostertalk.org/forums/public-forum/viewforum.php?f=3
http://www.fosterparentforum.org/index.php?
They both seem to be pretty active with people discussion all kinds of issues - let us know what you think of them as I haven't had a chance to look in loads of detail, but if they're good then can consider for further recommendation.