Foster Carers

[phatram]

The real problem is that you have not explained how they are so much more expensive and how you are out of pocket. If you answered these people more able to empathise with you.

 

Many many of your posts are all " Me Me Me" and not about the best intersts of your foster children

 

Sfx

 

See above post.

[phatram]

"But the op in this thread has stormed in saying 'I want more money' and then saying they get £367 per week per child. If they had wanted sympathy, then they should have approached it in a sympathetic manner and not just come right in with 'I want more money'."

 

Do you know how much a child in residential care costs the taxpayer?

I would guess not, but I can assure you it is far more than a foster carer would get.And how much love and proper care does a child in care get, need etc and to provide it, what is the cost in real terms?

You have no idea and probably don't care.

If costs matter so much to you, research it and learn. I am not here to teach you or anybody else thats too lazy to do so.

I know these things after fostering for 11 years and working full time at the same time.

Its about time some of you guys looked in the mirror and asked yourselves if you really like what you see!

A fuming Mr P.

 

[phatram]

Any more foster carers out there who feel exploited, unrepresented etc?

Are you struggling to make ends meet because of inadequate allowances/payments?.

 

Do you feel you are subsidising local government by having to pay out your cash to look after "their" children and young people?

 

We are trying to start a campaign to get a better deal for foster carers and would be grateful of any input.

 

Mr and Mrs P

WHERE DOES IT SAY I WANT MORE MONEY ?

it doesn't !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Saffronflowers]

In your first post actually

 

No I dont know all the ins and outs of fostering though I doubt you know all the ins and outs of bring up a child with Cystic Fibrosis, but if you asked I would be happy to tell you.

 

SFx

[phatram]

That is why I would not have offered advice/criticism about caring for a child with cystic fibrosis - I would not have offered my opinion. I know you do a hard, emotional job.

[Saffronflowers]

I would alsways accept advice and criticism (well I would get the hump like normal!) but it is useful to get tohers perspective on matters simply as sometimes one is too close to the facts to the see the bigger picture.

 

Because someone is not fully conversant does not mean that their ideas and views are invalid.

 

SFx

[plainjane]

Ive read all 7 pages of this tripe and Im going to ask for it to be removed. I have never read such rubbish. Foster caring isnt a career with yearly pay awards, its a vocation, and for the right sort of people it has its own rewards. Think on phatram ! Are you in it for the right reasons? ££££££££ is definately not one of them.

 

Saffron take care its been emotional xx

 

Peace

[phatram]

I suggest you take a look at "The Fostering Network" website to, perhaps, update your views! I am a PROFESSIONAL carer who takes great pride in what I do and the unconditional help and love I have given to countless children. It is a vocation, just like teaching or nursing - are they expected to "work" for nothing, just the love of the children/patients?

[Saffronflowers]

mmmmmmm - interesting a quote from the Fostering Network

 

We recognise that the term ‘professional’ has connotations that do not always seem to fit easily with the foster carers’ role. Foster carers take up fostering for a range of reasons that are not necessarily to do with wishing to be a ‘professional’, and which initially appear to be in direct contradiction to the requirements of a ‘professional’. We know that for some people there is a tension in foster care between love and money, and that there is a fear that by more emphasis being put on money, less will be placed on caring and people will be attracted to fostering for financial rewards.

 

I wonder if they would be interested in this thread, it would definately highlight that the very facts that they are stating.

 

SFx

[plainjane]

Snap. We have seen 18 teens through the transition of care home to independent living. Successfully. When we feel that the kids are using the electricity wastefully they get a sharp reminder that some day they will be paying theyre own bills, simple but effective, weve been at it 19 years so please do not try and quote fostering network to us. Fostering pays well, we get 21 days hols and all the support you could wish for. Fostering is a choice, Teaching is a choice, Nursing is a choice, We

[plainjane]

Didnt finish my thread. But to be honest I cant be bothered.

[MilkTrayMan]

...I doubt you know all the ins and outs of bring up a child with Cystic Fibrosis, but if you asked I would be happy to tell you.

Perhaps U could share your personal knowledge of Cystic Fibrosis, with other peeps who may welcome your support HERE SF??...

[Saffronflowers]

Thanks MTM - I think that my OH would definately divorce me!!! He is fed up with me hleping/advising peeps!!!!! I take everything too personally. I suppose CF is a bit too close to the bone for me.

 

SFx

[MilkTrayMan]

Am sure that there are peeps out that would appreciate a friendly word or to of moral support now + then though SF......even yourself??...

It needn't JUST be about CF

...There are many Child/Family Oriented Threads which a concerned Mum could both find interesting, as well as enabling U to pass on words of wisdom between other Mums.

 

...

[Barebackmolly]

I was a local authority carer for 20 years and have just retired after caring for 250+ children.

When I fostered all those years ago my payment was £22 per week, that was to provide 24/7 care for a small child.

I was a carer for 10 years before we were granted a 'reward element' for fostering.

Private fostering fees and local authority fees are different but thats because the child/children deem to be 'difficult'

I feel sad reading the threads as I guess a lot of people think its 'money for old rope' but honestly it can be easy but it can be extremely difficult also.

Whatever the rights and wrongs there will always be a need to recruit more foster carers.

[Saffronflowers]

BBM - I for one do not think it is money for old rope at all and I know that it can be deeply challenging but I really hope that it is rewarding for both parties. From the children I know that have been fostered and some who have been subsequently adopted it has been a very psositive experiance.

 

I am also aware that things dont work out having been adopted twice, because my first adopted father dcided that I was difficult having just lost my adopted mother at the age of four!!!!

 

From my perspective I would like to thank you for all the wonderful work that you have done and will do in the future.

 

SFx

[Conniff]

WHERE DOES IT SAY I WANT MORE MONEY ?

it doesn't !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Are you struggling to make ends meet because of inadequate allowances/payments?.

 

i.e. my measly £11500 per annum

I think the amount paid by the authority should take this hike in prices

The authorities would simply “up the budgets”

So are you going to pay for these children out of your wages

 

cannot afford to subsidise the local authorities any more

 

They need to up the allowances

 

I will use my pittance to subsidise the council

 

increase the utility payment per child by the 26%

 

 

The thing that hit me the first time I read this thread was your attitude to fostering:

 

 

to look after "their" children

 

carers are expected to take their "work" away with them

 

because they are not OUR children

 

It is a job

 

 

You seem to be doing it for all the wrong reasons.

 

As for you saying - quote Don't have children if you can't afford to then. Unquote.

Maybe you should take a leaf from your own book.

 

The link you gave was about Australian fostering so has no relevence here.

 

The fostering code does not say that if they leave lights and dvds on, you cannot tell them to switch them off.

 

I will say it once more - I have great admiration for foster carers, but you are going the wrong way around getting your case over.

[Barebackmolly]

Wasnt pointing the finger SF at anyone in particular.

 

It has been rewarding for us as carers and hope to God the children found it rewarding for them to.

 

My longest placement lasted 8 years even though I was a short term carer. That placement ended 7 years ago but we still take responsibilty for her as she has health problems.

 

We are the proud grandparents to a beautiful baby girl from one of our foster children.

 

Although I have retired now I still have ex foster children in my life and will till the day I die

[Saffronflowers]

BBM - sorry I did not mean to come across that I was being defensive and thank you for the post about your granddaughter it really made me smile

 

SFx

[phatram]

plainjane

 

Please let me know who you foster for - 21 days paid holiday! - I need to perhaps think of moving agency!

[blue4ever]

My Wife And I Were Emergency Foster Cares In Manchester Some Years A Go We Did Not Get A Lot Of Cash For Doing What We Did But The Buzz We Got From Looking After Children Who Need Care Away From There Own Familys Was Good, We Loved Those Children Just As Much As Are Own Children And Payment Was Not Good But We Did It Because We Wanted To Help These Children.

Money Never Ever Came Into It.if You Think You Are Not Getting Enough Off The State To Care For The Children Then Sadly Don`t Do It.

[phatram]

The comments made by Plainjane, informing us of what happens with their Agency, is what we were hoping to get from this thread. Fostering is so insular, you never get to mix with anyone, only the people who work for the same Agency. Perhaps some Agencies are better than others - please let us know of your experiences.

Mrs P

[Demtootief]

I do think that you have hit the nail closest to the head BBM as everyone on here needs to understand that fostering is not an exact science, with some foster children that can prove to be really difficult, while a Carer can get placements that are as good as gold (although this is quite rare). As a Foster Carers I came into this role not knowing as much as I do now, however I would do it all over again to get a lovely bouquet of flowers on Mothers day from my 18 year old foster daughter who still calls me Mom and calls me in the middle of the night even now when she is scared.

 

I do however have to agree with Phatram as regards issues such as sick pay etc. One of the issues that foster carers have to think about a lot is that of allegations. If in my previous job an allegation was made against me, my boss would have to provide me with a salary while I was being investigated - in fostering, this does not apply, as an allegation made by a child means sudden and total loss of salary for a foster carer till you are cleared, however long that takes. All I am trying to say here, is that there is more to fostering than the 'huge' amounts of money that foster carers are thought to receive, so please step back a bit and think about what is being written, as 'foster caring' is definitely not a job - as I said before 'IT IS A CALLING'!!!

[Robertxc]

I think that there's a lot of misunderstanding about what a foster carer actually does. A lot of people think that it is just about caring for children, which on the face of it doesn't seem that difficult. But more and more nowadays foster carers are expected to take on an expanded role. I met a friend for coffee today who is caring for a newborn boy who it is hoped will be rehabilitated back to mum at some point in the future. Because it's so important that the baby bonds with mum my friend is having to supervise contact in her home between mum and the baby for two hours a day seven days a week. Mum has zero parenting skills so my friend has also been asked to work with her to help her develop some. It's this type of work that is covered by the 'fee' element of the payment package, A big bugbear at the moment is that foster carers are being asked to take on more and more responsibilities that used to be taken by social workers.

 

The comments about allegations are well made. I read an apparently reliable article which stated that 1 in 6 foster carers can expect to have an allegation made against them at some point. In Scotland (as I pressume it is in England) an allegation automatically means the involvement of the police. The overwhelming majority of allegations of course turn out to be completely baseless, but they are all fully investigated and I'm told it's not a pleasant experience.

[phatram]

I too am doing something very similar Robertxc. Last year, the young mum we were caring for had a Parental Assessment done by Social Services. This time, I have been asked to carry out that assessment - to be partly responsible in the decision as to whether she can keep her baby. More and more tasks, once carried out by SWs are now placed in our hands.