Bristol Fostering

Hello! For those of you unfamiliar, I offer respite foster carer and cover emergencies. 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 15mins and most 5hrs. Some of these kids have stayed just one night; longest was 21 nights. I've looked after 18 kids to date, aged 5-16. Mainly kids aged 12+. I've decided to start twice a month keeping a diary of my fostering experiences as such a carer. Monday - kids! My regular respite pair are here for their longest stay with me to date. All the arrangements were done with their main carer last week. I have just worked a long night though and have to sleep before picking them up from school, but only manage about 2.5hrs...

Hello! For those of you unfamiliar, I offer respite foster carer and cover emergencies. 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 15mins and most 5hrs. Some of these kids have stayed just one night; longest was 21 nights. I've decided to start twice a month keeping a diary of my fostering experiences as such a carer. Monday - no kids I come into this week with one respite booking for Wednesday into Thursday but nothing else as yet. I let my social worker know which days I'm currently free in case anything comes up. The lad I have coming on Wednesday,Dave, is only staying one night because when he was booked to come I had a full week of bookings bar mid...

One question I am often asked about fostering is – ‘Are the children naughty?’ This is a perplexing question in some regards. There are many layers to it. It suggests the person has heard that children in care do naughty things. It also suggests that the person to an extent believes this and wants it verifying by a real life foster carer. And to a lesser extent it suggests the person is probing to see whether they could look after any child who is ‘less than angelic’. It also makes one question what ‘naughtiness’ is. Some people just see the behaviour, but not what’s behind it. Our understanding and conception of being a ‘naughty child’ varies so so much. A simple example: Parent A might consider their child ‘naughty’ if they refuse to clear their dinner plate, whilst parent B might think their little one ‘naughty’ if they steal grandma's purse and spend her money on drugs but parent C might have no parental control and doesn’t really consider anything ‘na...