People who are thinking about fostering are generally good-hearted but a bit trepidatious. So was I when I started to think about fostering- it's a big step.
Most of all they have questions.
I received a text today from a friend who has a friend who's thinking about fostering. My friend asked me (on behalf of her friend) if the friend would be considered suitable.
The friend, I was told, is "a...
Saturday, June 29, 2019
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
WHAT DID I DO BEFORE FOSTERING?
Still feeling a bit thoughtful; my most recent foster child left to go home a few days ago.
Today I had to take a different child to a thing called 'Contact' and it was no more or less tricky than usual.
If you were to ask 100 Foster Carers what's the biggest challenge they regularly deal with in fostering a great many would answer; "Contact".
Contact is when children in care are taken to...
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
THANKS FOR THE MEMORY
Ryder's gone home, and as usual I'm up and down about her going.
Other Foster Carers tell me they also have mixed emotions when a foster child leaves. They are pleased and relieved that things appear to be on the up for the child, but that's counter-balanced by concerns that things might go pear-shaped again, it happens.
Then there's the sense of loss which is sparked off by little things such as...
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
THE END IS NOT NIGH
Here's something I hadn't seen coming;
It happened because Ryder, our newest foster child, is shortly going home.
It's always an emotional time, obviously. But last night she was very brittle and not herself at all.
She was catty with my eldest foster child - with whom she's usually on top form. At teatime she was sullen, pushing the peas around her plate.
After tea there was an argument about...