Skip to main content

Fostering emergencies - excitement and worry

In fostering, sometimes placements are planned with the child coming into care over a transition period, giving them time to adjust and pack their belongings, and giving their new carer time to get ready, but increasingly more often than not it is last minute.

And for good reason too.

Social services may have just taken a call from the police who've been to a property following a domestic situation, to go in and find evidence of drug use and unsanitary conditions with children in the home. With the right court order in place for their own safety the children may be (temporarily) brought into care at very short notice.

This is the mild end. There are more horrific reasons - a child turning up at school complaining their bottom hurts or that mummy had lots of strange friends over last night doing scary things making loud noises in the bedroom. The list goes on, and on, and on, unfortunately.

But serious situations require swift action, even if it ends up being a false alarm and the children are returned the next day.

So what happens if a child is brought into care at very short notice.

Well, a court order is needed to remove the child from their parent/s for starters.

But then the real issue starts of 'where will this child sleep tonight?', 'is it safe for them to go home and collect some belongings?', 'can they go to school tomorrow?', 'how will they feel when they arrive at their new home?'

The primary concern is where will they sleep. If possible councils try to keep siblings together but this isn't always possible. I've known groups split up because of the last minute nature, eg a group of four children may go between three foster carers (two with one carer, the third with another, and the fourth with a different carer too).

If the council cant find a carer they'll then look 'out of area' as in ask their neighbouring councils. Sometimes kids taken into care may have to move 50+ miles that night. It's horrific but its still better than them being in an unsafe home.

I would say the second and third most important concerns are kinda linked - how will the child feel, and can they take anything with them. If its not safe to pop home, and they come into care with no belongings except literally the clothes they're wearing, then they may feel more lonely and upset. But if its not safe, its best they dont pop home... however if they can picking up clothes, games and their favourite toy will help settle them.

How the child feels will be unique to them and evolve too. They may be quiet, polite, respectful on their first night in a new home but full of rage the next!

How does the carer feel too? Well, a mixture of excitement and worry I would say.

More on that another time.

The most important thing is children coming into care feels safe and secure.

Could you provide a safe home for a child, even just for a few days a week?

All the best, Bristol Fostering.

Check out are FB Here

NB Bristol Fostering is a personal blog and not affiliated with any fostering agency. The author just happens to be a foster carer in Bristol, UK

We do recommend Bristol Council though as they're fab. Bristol Council fostering enquiry form

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

LGBT foster carers

Someone once told me that if just 1% of LGBT+ adults in the UK fostered then there would be no national shortage of foster carers. Unfortunately the situation is bleak - there are far more kids in care than foster carers available. You may come under the LGBT+ umbrella and would like to do something to help children but haven't considered fostering yet. Or you may have looked into it, tentatively, but not taken the plunge yet. You may be worried, apprehensive or even scared. Well.. For starters your application will not be treated negatively due to your gender identity or sexual orientation. It's illegal for one. As it happens I to come under the LGBT+ spectrum and my social worker couldn't have given a monkeys. In a good way. It was a complete non-issue. In fact during my assessment those many moons ago it was a positive - because I'd be able to identify and help LGBT+ youth in care. Maybe you're worried about how any child who comes into your care will r...

Week in the life of a respite foster carer

Inspired by a post on The Guardian I've decided to diary my week as a respite and emergency placement carer. Respite is where you give either another foster carer or a child's family a break by having their child for usually 1-7 nights, quite often just one or two nights. Emergency placements are where Social Services phone you and ask you to take a child that night for at least one night. I've done this a few times and least notice I've had is 30mins and most 5hrs. A couple of these kids have stayed just one night; longest was five nights. So.... Monday - no kids! I'm 'on call' this week Monday to Thursday for emergencies and I've got respite booked in for Fri, Sat and Sun. So I know I've really got M-Th to do all my boring stuff, housework, etc because once these kids come Fri I know they're full on. No call tonight but I'm kinda glad of that as I'm beat. I work two jobs to make fostering work. One full time on nightshifts ...

Why haven't you named your teddy? He should be called Dave

Fostering throws up a variety of kids. You get asked to look after children that match your capabilities and preferences but even if you had a room full of 10 year old boys they'd all be different, let alone ones that have been through a range of trauma and difficulties that led them to come into care. It is a fair to say that on average, children are on the more difficult end. I know that sounds horrid to say, but they are. It can take it's toll on carers which is why they often need breaks. However even the most well behaved little one can be a handful, simply because they're an energetic little soul, who likes to play and play and play some more. We had one of these recently. The most brilliant, bright boy you can imagine. His language and math skills are excellent for his age. He is articulate, funny, cheeky, and, well, full of beans. As soon as he got to my home, and checked out his room, we unpacked his bag and put away his clothes and his teddy on the bed. He t...