Fostering Blog
So after the drama of the ‘visit’ from Mum and friends outside school James(name changed) was to be given a daily lift to school by yours truly.
I didn’t mind this as I could do any chores on the way home from dropping him off. Both the Social Worker and the Supervising Social Worker were horrified by Mum’s behaviour and her subsequent telephone call. It had obviously unsettled James and he was a nervous wreck. His Mum’s number was blocked on his phone and the Social Worker was to call her the next day.
There was even talk of involving the Police but I left that in the hands of the Social Worker, bearing in mind Mum was due in court soon for shoplifting. James was very quiet over dinner. He asked me why Mum favoured drugs over him and I tried to explain addictions to him. But he couldn’t see that a parent could put anything before their child or children.
I explained to him that drug addiction was quite a common factor in children coming into care and I cared for a number of children for this reason. James went off to bed but I guessed he wasn’t going to get much sleep that night. The following morning James was still very shaken and anxious.
He said that he had hardly slept at all. I did think about keeping him off but I decided that it would be better for him to carry on his normal routine so we got in the car and drove to school. When we near our destination I could sense James looking round to see if he could see the car, but it was all clear.
I actually took him all the way in and delivered him to the school office. When I left I actually found myself looking too. I stopped for some supplies at the Supermarket and got James some treats for that evening.
The Social Worker called me that afternoon to say that Mum was not picking up calls so she hadn’t been able to contact her. She asked after James and said she had a meeting with her manager that afternoon to discuss the situation and that she would email me afterwards. I pottered around for the rest of the day and left to pick up James.
He seemed ok as he seen Paige and been with his mates. We got home and I ordered Pizza as a treat and then gave him the treats I had bought earlier. His phone rang, it was number withheld, so I told him not to answer, just in case. The phone rang several times but we did not answer still. Eventually I took the phone and answered, it was mum demanding to speak to James.
I refused, obviously, and was then subjected to a volley of foul abuse so I disconnected the call and turned his phone off. James decided to leave his phone on the table in the dining room and went to bed. I updated my diary sent a quick email to all concerned and then took myself off to bed.
What a day!
A Simply Fostering Foster Carers Blog.