There are regular newspaper stories on fostering applications.
Media scare stories hit recruitment?
Media scare stories about refused fostering applications may be putting off potential carers who are needed to fill a national shortage, it has been claimed.Fleur Chitson, director of Saxon Independent Fostering in Dorchester believes the application process is portrayed unfairly:
"We have all heard these scare stories that social workers have refused to have Mr and Mrs Bloggs because they are the wrong height or age.
"What we don't hear about is could they actually look after the child properly? We can never find that out."
David and Heather Bowen hit the headlines in April after a Somerset Council fostering panel refused their application because they occasionally smack their birth daughter "once or twice a year".
They had said they would never smack a foster child.
David Bowen, from Taunton, said: "I have no problem with the system overall, but there is something wrong when a social worker and line manager recommend we are approved and then a panel refuses based on no evidence."
At the time, Somerset Council said in a statement: "In assessing parents' suitability for fostering we take into account a range of factors which we gather from extensive assessment and discussion with the potential carers."
Story added: July 4th
There has been a 'professionalization' of foster care.
For love or money?
People are increasingly become foster carers for the money rather than to care for children, it has been claimed.
Competition between private agencies and local authorities has lead to what some see as the ‘professionalization’ of fostering, with carers able to earn up to £60 000 a year.
Sophie, not her real name, is 19 and was in foster care for ten years, she says some people foster for the money:
“I have had foster carers that have given me half or a quarter of what they are meant to for clothes and kept the rest for themselves and just not mentioned it to me,” she said.
Neil Loader from Five Rivers Fostering believes people have different motives:
“The first thing some say is how much are you going to give us, and that immediately raises
our concerns. But to be fair a lot of applicants would not even ask about money.”
Dawn Phillips was a foster carer in Wiltshire until recently. She says money is not the motivation:
“Once you have covered the costs of the child you are not left with a lot, so
[money] is not a big thing.”
Story added: June 27th
The Children and Young Person's Bill is currently going through the Commons.
Charities call for longer in care
Leading children’s charities have called for quicker
action from the government to allow all
young people to stay with foster carers until 21.
Twelve UK charities wrote an open letter to the government calling for them to extend the entitlement of foster care beyond the current age of 18.
The Children and Young Person’s Bill had its second Commons reading on Monday (June 16th) and promises ten pilot areas where care will be extended to 21.
The letter said: “We urge the Government to take this opportunity to ensure all young people
have the option to remain with their foster carers until the age of 21.
"This means giving a clear commitment to roll out proposed pilots across England as soon as possible.”
Children’s minister Beverley Hughes told the Commons debate the government did want to
extend the right to care:
"How quickly we can go will depend on the pilots and on resources,
but that is our direction of travel," she said.
In some parts of the country councils are already trying to help beyond 18. In Cumbria a ‘Homestay’ scheme is giving young people leaving care a family to stay with.
Sally Motrem, project officer for supported lodgings at Cumbria County Council said:
“We are aware of the agenda and we are continuing to encourage foster carers to continue to hold on to young people living with them.”
Story added: June 20th
Lanarkshire will not allow new smoking carers to look after young children.
Smoking stubbed out (partly)
A Scottish council has banned new foster carers who
smoke from looking after young children,
but says smokers will still be able to become carers.
South Lanarkshire council is to stop smokers new to
fostering from caring for children under
five, or those
with a disability, in line with advice from
the British Association of Adoption and
Fostering.
But they say some media reports claiming smokers would not be taken on as new carers at all are untrue.
Ada Niddrie, adoption and fostering manager at South Lanarkshire council believes the policy will not hit the recruitment of carers:
“The majority of foster carers approved for children under five years do not smoke.
"We are confident that we will be able to continue to recruit good foster carer families for young children,” she said.
There are currently eight foster carers in South Lanarkshire who smoke and look after children
under five.
They will be asked to sign a contract confirming they will provide smoke free areas in the
home, and will not smoke in front of children.
Amanda Sandford, research manager for anti-smoking campaign group Ash backed the council’s
decision:
“It may seem a little harsh but strict measures are needed so people understand how
dangerous second hand smoke can be,” she said.
Story added: June 13th