My march towards becoming a foster mum to a Parent and Child is picking up pace.
Our Blue Sky social worker visited this morning and we got through a pot of tea dotting the lower case Js and crossing the lower case Ts.
Nothing is left to chance, the fostering family, in our case our extended family, the home, the family pet…everything has to be lined up.
It's so crucial, is Parent and Child.
The child is often (but not always), a newborn baby. The parent is often but not necessarily a young mother.
Our wonderful social worker and I covered all the theoretical stuff no problem.
We kept returning to the biggest matter in hand - that we won't know the specifics until the placements arrive.
Will the Parent know how to feed, how to keep the Child safe, clean, stimulated?
What will the relationship be like between the Parent and Child?
How will the Parent need coaching and support?
Then we got onto some truly thought-provoking stuff.
Our social worker asked things such as;
"What are the things, if any, that might make you upset or sad? How will you react to those things?
How will you and your partner feel if the parent takes a particular liking to one or other of you?
Are you prepared to fill out your report sheets with diplomatic honesty so that the Parent can learn from them?"
And so on.
Next will follow meetings, mainly on Teams, to equip Blue Sky's Parent and Child officers to find a match for us. More essential reading matter and paperwortk is to come.
How am I feeling?
As if I'm going up a level in fostering.
To shore up my confidence and belief I'm decribing Parent and Child to myself as the Gold Standard of fostering.
It's not, of course, but it helps.
Every foster parent, every placement, is Gold Standard.
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