A PAIN IN THE NECK

 Once you begin fostering you should try to be an unofficial recruitment officer. We need new foster carers.The Fostering Network says there are 52,000 children with foster families.And that every year thousands more foster families are needed.Blue Sky have a programme of payments for any of their carers who recruits a new carer. If you're interested, and you're with Blue Sky, ask your social...

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SO MANY WAYS TO CARE

 Just done a useful Blue Sky training session on managing allegations.Until Covid, training sessions would be held at one of Blue Sky's offices, and that still goes on. Being in a room with fellow fostering folk can be really enjoyable, if you're a people watcher.Which I am.Obviously I don't allow my curiosity about the other people in the room to get in the way of the learning.And managing allegations...

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YOU CAN'T STEAM FISH!

 We've just had a child stay with us for a couple of weeks.  A rare duration for a foster placement in my experience, but his was an unusual story.We got the call on a Friday afternoon. Blue Sky said that the local authority was looking for a short-term foster home for a 14-year-old boy whose foster mother had been rushed to hospital.The boy had arrived home to discover his foster mum...

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RESCUE DOGS AND RESCUE CHILDREN

 For me, one of the biggest moments in fostering is when a new child arrives and the Social Workers leave.Until the professionals say their goodbyes, we foster parents have a bunch of good people in our house working on the placement.What usually happens is this. Having agreed to take a child arrangements are made to bring the child to our house. Blue Sky send one of theirs; usually the Social...

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LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF

 In fostering you get quiet moments.Not a lot of them, but by golly they're welcome.Fostering is hectic enough without us foster parents keeping up the pressure on oursleves when we get the house to ourselves or some other breather from the hurley-burley.You have to make the most of "me-time" when it comes along.Blue Sky are always advising us foster parents to look after ourselves, because,...

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FEEDING THEM

 We foster parents are expected to provide our foster kids with their "Basic Needs".The"Basic Needs" as set out by a revered expert called Maslow.The most basic of basic needs - the bottom layer of the heirarchy Maslow says - are; food, water, warmth and rest.After providing those we provide the next layer; security and safety. And so it goes up to the top of the heirarchy of needs. The top layer...

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FOSTERING AND PHONES

 Children in care need their phones.Look, I know all about the potential pitfalls, I've attended more Blue Sky training sessions on IT and mobile phones than you can shake a stick at.On top of what I've learned I use my own native intelligence to keep our foster children safe.But; make no mistake. They NEED their phones.They need them big time.So as foster parents, working with our Social Workers,...

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KIDS AND SPIDERS

Fostering is wonderful in many ways, but it does make you softer, I think.You give a bit more to the poor homeless person in the shop doorway, buy a spongee you don't need from the lad who rings your doorbell saying he's just out of remand and trying to go straight.A while ago we took in a tiny little dog that no-one wanted. She's dying, basically. But we're all comforting her and trying to make her...

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GETTING REJECTED

 It's been an interesting couple of days.Mind, I could probably describe any 'couple of days' in fostering as 'interesting'.You don't get bored when you foster. No siree.What happened was this;My phone rang and I could see from the screen it was Blue Sky.Joy of joys it was their Placement people calling to ask the golden question:"Would you consider taking a child who…"I've had my phone light...

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