Calling all foster carers!

[balletmum]

Hi,
I'm in Adelaide and have been a Foster Mum, off and on, since 1978!! I just found your site and intend to be a regular reader and contributor. I would love to chat with other carers in Australia or anyone who is thinking of fostering in the future.
Currently I have 2 children GOM18 and 1 on a 12 week order. Obviously we can't be indiscreet but it's always nice to chat with people who understand what we face each day.
cheers,
Sue

[PrincessLollyPopLePink]

Hi Sue

I only just noticed this part of the forum..welcome to the forum btw

DH and I have just become foster carers this year after going through the process that started last year. The main thing that motivated us was having the love and room to open up our home to a little one that needed it. We have a gorgeous little baby with us currently and hope to have another one if or when we are asked.

[balletmum]

Hi princesslollypoplepink,
How old is your baby? Is this your first placement? I guess it differs from state to state but I am registered for up to 3 children aged from birth to 18yrs. My youngest so far was 5 months and the oldest was 14 yrs.
How do your friends and family react to you fostering?
Great to have someone to chat with.

[PrincessLollyPopLePink]

Hi, he's our first and is only 13 weeks old. He's a gorgeous little tot too, I swear everywhere we go he charms the pants off everyone, lol. We are able to have ones aged from 0 - 3.

So far I have found most people to react in a positive and supportive way, they have helped us out with things too which is nice.

I'm looking forward to foster care week in September to meet other carers. Last week I ran into a lady that was in our training course and she said that so far we are the only ones with a placement. They are still waiting!

Do you go to the training courses? so far I have only been able to get to one on "legal issues"

[aussiegirl73]

Hi Balletmum, i am also new to this site and a foster carer!!! I know of a fantastic site specifically for foster carers( of which I am a member) I would love you to join us(especially with all your years of experience!) but i am not willing to post so publicly. I am not sure how to send a personal message to you though. (new to this forum), so if you are able to send me a p.m. I will reply with the info!!
Oh by the way.. congrats to princelllollypop... for your first placement. Do you know how long he will be staying?
Enjoy all those bubba hugs!

[suse]

Hi aussiegirl73 and balletmum - welcome to Belly Belly!

As new members, the PM system does not activate until you have 30 posts. But if you would each like to send me your email addresses I can send them to the other, if you'd like to get in touch with each other off-forum. My email address is suse@bellybelly.com.au

Hope this helps!

[PrincessLollyPopLePink]

Hi there and welcome to the forum!

In October final orders are going to be given so we should know if we'll be having him full time or not.. fingers crossed, I hope so as it'll break my heart if he has to leave us. He's such a huge part of our lives now, we love him dearly.

[Lissie]

Hi Ladies,

Kind of thinking about foster care. We have had a total of 9 transfers with IVF, with no baby at the end. We were to have our 10th today but the embryo did not make in thru the freezing/thawing stages. I am heartbroken - but have pondered over the years about Fostering should IVF not work for us. All we really want is to be a family - we would love to share our lives with a little one - we are older as you can see so don't even know if we would be allowed an infant? Or would we be classified to old? My husband has had back surgery, very successful and has not had a problem carrying on with his job floor/wall tiler - however would they knock us back on the medical for him having had back surgery in the past ? What are the steps for fostering? How long does it take - we would love to adopt but we have been told that takes years - is the waiting list for foster carers long ? Does anyone have any information that they can share? OR does anyone have any advice? Would love to know more.

[PrincessLollyPopLePink]

Hi Lissie

so sorry to hear about your losses *hugs* it sure is heartbreaking when all you'd like to do is start a family. After I started having miscarriages we started thinking about adoption than a miracle happened and Arden came along. We tried again numerous times and it just wasnt going to happen so after DH kept on hearing ads about fostering we decided to look into it and it's one of the best things we have ever done.

Contact your local DOCS office for an information pack to find out more. There is no obligation either, you can change your mind at anytime during the process. It took us just over a year before everything happened all at once, it was amazing!

There's different types of care too, you can do respite care, short term care and long term care. Definately contact DOCS and they will help you out with the applications, good luck. Let me know how it goes

[Lissie]

Kim,

I hope you don't mind me asking you a couple of questions re fostering.
Me turning 44 next month and DH will be turning 51 next month - would we be considered to old? Can you choose what age child gets a placement with you? I think we would want to to permanent care if possible as i just don't think i could bear having a child ripped away from me after bonding - do you have to be a certain age to have under 3-5yr olds? I have hundreds more questions - i have read some real horror stories about fostering older kids and that sort of scares me a bit but yet again i have read some wonderful stories about fostering?
Oh by the way have you recieved permanent care of your little one? I sure hope you did.

[PrincessLollyPopLePink]

Lissie

I'm not sure what the age limit is to be honest, however I was talking to a lady at Ardens pre school the other day and she knew a lady that fostered right up til she passed away from cancer aged in her 60's.

From what they told us, the age group you ask for has to be younger than your oldest child, so that's why we were given a baby as we put down 3yrs and under. You have more of a chance of recieving a baby or toddler if your going for full time care.

Still waiting to hear if we'll be getting long term care for our little one, l'll be shattered if he has to go, he's such a beautiful boy...

[Lissie]

Kim,

Thanks for the reply. Its so hard to try and make a decision about adoption or long term foster care - all i know is we want to share our life with a little person.
I really really hope and that you get orders to have long term care of the little one in your care. Getting closer to making a decision and from what i read on the websites about fostering there is no upper age limit - it just depends on whether or not we are suitable in their eyes. Kim - so i guess the first step for us would be to have a Doc's case worker come out and see us? Then what happens after that? Just would like to get a feel for things first if you know what i mean. Any advise you have would be great.
Again i so hope things go your way :goodluck2:

[PrincessLollyPopLePink]

Thank you so much for your kind words Lissie, we are praying too that we'll be able to have him long term. If I were you, I'd contact your local docs and get booked in for an information session, they'll send you out an information pack and forms to fill out.

Let me know who it goes, perhaps you could look up on the net "Operation foster care"

[Janie73]

Hi Lissie,

I work for a Foster Care Agency although I am not a Caseworker myself. From what I understand there is no age limit and often older couples are viewed favourably because they have stability and maturity. For long-term care they look for people who have good health and prospects to parent the child/ren to adulthood so I suppose if a baby then an 18-20 year period.

The average age of children needing fostering is about 8-10 years so the chances of fostering littlies is lower. There is a huge demand for sibling groups, so if, for example you were willing to take 3 or 4 siblings at one go for permanent care you would have a good chance because a lot of people can't do this due to space and other children etc.

You can go to your nearest DoCS office or contact a Foster Care agency direct such as Anglicare, Banardos, Centacare etc. Also look in your local paper because Agencies advertise regular, sometimes with general recruitment ads and sometimes with urgent direct requests regarding specific children.

You will fill in an initial enquiry form and someone will visit your home and make sure you seem suitable and your home is suitable. If that goes ok you usually attend some training and submit an application form. You then have to go through all the police and working with children checks etc.

That's just a general idea - as I said I'm not a Caseworker.

One other thing is that the Government has made it easier for people to adopt children they are fostering in an attempt to minimise the disruption to foster children. That is only a recent thing.

Good Luck!

Jane

Kim,

Thanks for the reply. Its so hard to try and make a decision about adoption or long term foster care - all i know is we want to share our life with a little person.
I really really hope and that you get orders to have long term care of the little one in your care. Getting closer to making a decision and from what i read on the websites about fostering there is no upper age limit - it just depends on whether or not we are suitable in their eyes. Kim - so i guess the first step for us would be to have a Doc's case worker come out and see us? Then what happens after that? Just would like to get a feel for things first if you know what i mean. Any advise you have would be great.
Again i so hope things go your way :goodluck2:

[cindyb]

Hi!

I just came accross this thread- i am not a foster carer however i grew up with parents who did and still do foster care and we have had about 150 kids over the years coming and going and for me and my sister (my parents only biological kids) it was just the norm, we always had someone to play with. Now i have 3 adopted brothers, 1 sister who mum is adopting soon but has been with us for 12 years and 2 foster sisters with disabilities in permanent care. My mum started doing it with repite placments from the local RCU when i was only 3 months old so all my childhood pics are of me with different kids!

I congratulate you all ondoing such a needed thing.

we are thinking of perhaps going for respite placements once our girls are at school.

[Lissie]

Hi Ladies,

So much to think about, so much running thru my head right now. Have soooo many questions. One question is once approved, how does it work, do they just call or do you have visits with the child first to get to know each other, every minute i have a new question -lol. All i know is i cannot explain to myself or others why it is i wake up crying about no having a family - why is it as women we need this fulfilled - is just in our nature or something that the world has told us we must do - you read all these things about fostering/adopting and they say things like, " Are you doing this for yourself or for the child"? i have thought about this one alot, when you try to fall pregnant and start a family the answer is you are doing this for yourself you are trying to fulfill a nature desire/need/want to nuture so isn't it the same thing???????

[PrincessLollyPopLePink]

They just gave us a call and asked if we were interested in taking on a baby and he turned up a couple of hours later, amazing.

Yesterday I had the best news since Arden was born, the final court orders went through and we now have permanant custody and can adopt within two years!!!! I am so excited!!!! his caseworker said it's very rare so we feel so special right now, Arden is really excited too

[cindyb]

HOw exciting for you on both counts!
Congratulations, My 3 brothers are all adoted after having been in permanent care for years with us! It was really special to us kids to be able to go to court and see it become official!

Well done!