Helen’s Fostering Blogs
When a Referral Becomes a Placement!
When I received the referral that ended with us being placed with two children, I was aimlessly wondering around Costco with my brother and sister.
I took the call from my agency whilst leaning up against a fireplace that had caught my eye. Over the phone I was told about two children who required a placement by the following day. I was given some brief details about them over the phone and I telephoned my husband to discuss. At that time, we were still waiting to hear about two other sets of children we had been discussing for a few weeks and as I’ve said before we were already invested in these children.
It appealed to us that those children would be able to get to know us a little over a period of time before they came to live with us.
That said, I was intrigued enough to go straight back home and read through their referral. I telephoned my husband who was at work and went through the referral with him. We agreed that I would speak to the children’s social worker but ultimately, we wanted to carry on with the children that we were already involved in.
Things turned on their head when I telephoned the children’s social worker. She told me all about these two children and my heart went out to them. The decision changed to wanting to take them the minute their social worker explained to me that if we were unable to take them, they would have to be split up as there was no-one else available who could take them together at that time. My own link and love for my sister and brother is so strong this thought really sadden me.
It was a little difficult to be heading in one direction and then all sudden you do a 180 degree turn in a different direction. I think it is fair to say we didn’t really have time to think much more about it than that, we kinder just had to hit the ground running.
The children sounded like they were perfect for us and what we believed would work best for us as a family. So, with plans changed so quickly we had to get ready to have our first placement and two children that would be arriving the very next day.
I remember that evening being a bit of a blur. As soon as my husband came home from work, we drove to both of the children’s schools so that I knew where I would be taking them on the Monday.
We read and re-read their referral and discussed at great length what we might need to be mindful of. Most importantly we needed to call Libby (my stepdaughter) and explain to her that for her birthday that weekend she would be getting two foster siblings that hopefully were going to become a big part of hers and our life.
Helen – A Blogging Foster Carer
