Fostering Blog – Rehab.
Had a call from Paige’s Dad today saying that they intended to stay until the weekend and would I have a problem with James (name changed) staying a couple of extra nights. Of course I agreed as it appeared that he was having a great time and was behaving himself. I, therefore, had a couple of more days to fill as I pleased.
Had a call from James’ social worker today, Mum has gone on the missing list and cannot be contacted in anyway with her phone being unreachable. The rehab clinic is keen to talk to her but she is ignoring all efforts to contact her.
The social worker plans to visit the house to see if Mum is in or to find out where she is. I feel slightly concerned by this news but it’s up to others to find her.
So the golf clubs are out and it’s time to hit the golf course. Haven’t played for a while so it’s going to be hit and miss, literally, but the exercise is worth it and I can’t wait to get out there with a couple of long-time friends.
Family Blog.
The conversation turns to James and how is he doing. So I updated them about his football and how well he is doing. Obviously I don’t mention anything about his family life and the earlier news about Mum but I do tell them that he was very well settled, well behaved and a generally nice kid.
Like a lot of people, they seem to think that most children in care will be unruly and have come into care because of their behaviour, so I make them aware that it’s rarely the case that it’s the kid’s fault and it’s more likely the problems that the parents have.
They both seemed surprised by this and one of them said that he, and his wife, had thought about fostering but had been put off by the thought that their house would be wrecked by the kids they cared for. I am pretty sure that this is a problem that a lot of people have when they think about fostering.
Of course some placements can be unruly but only because they have been allowed to. One you, as a carer, put boundaries in place, it’s amazing how quickly behaviours can be changed and the young person adapts.
So the golf finished and I actually didn’t play that badly, and, most importantly, I only lost one golf ball. We sat outside, with a beer, and Dave asked, again, about fostering.
I said that if he was interested I could organise someone to pop around for a chat and to give him more information. He said he would have a chat with his other half and get back to me.
I got home and sorted out my gear and had a shower. Later that evening Dave called and said that it would be good if I could pop round for a chat with him and his wife prior to anybody else visiting. I agreed and we set a time and date.
Hopefully someone else who can be recruited to the cause.
Fosterman Blog – A Foster Carer Telling It Like It Is.
