Fostering???

[ilovemarkb]

My husband and I are thinking about fostering as our kids are off to university. At the moment we are just looking for information but there's so many websites we don't even know where to start. Does anyone have any good or bad experiences from fostering?

[Hopkirk]

How will your 'kids' feel when they are away at Uni?

[ummmm]

Contact social services.

[ladybirder]

Good for you for even considering it. We so need more fosterers.

[flump1]

I fostered for years 31 young children going through the justice system. It is hard work but so very rewarding. There are courses to help you identify issues you may not have had to deal with within your own family, like offending, substance abuse etc. I found the courses invaluable. My health deteriorated and my marriage collapsed otherwise I mill be dong it. I worked with Action for Children, there are many different agencies to offer your services to. The good outweigh the bad times by far. Most Social Service departments will point you in the right direction. Good Luck.

[ilovemarkb]

ok guys thanks very much !!!! we have a lot of thinking to do x

[Hopkirk]

My worry is as I mentioned earlier.

I have a son away at Uni, and he has surprisingly long holidays.
Also he sometimes comes home for a weekend, or even to do some pre exam revision away from the sources of temptation.

If your youngsters feel they cannot come home, because their bedrooms are occupied, how will they feel?

Unless of course you sufficient extra bedrooms to keep the different generations in their own privacy.

[Peter Pedant]

.

Start with Social Services.
You have to be pretty tough to do this.

Good Luck. The outcome data is pretty terrible - a neighbour fostered along with real kids - the foster kids are all now ex-prisoners and drug abusers (3) and the 2 biological children have jobs ..... DNA trumps up-bringing ....

[ilovemarkb]

ok thanks again!!!!!

[Kassee]

Hi ilovemarkb, my kids were growing up, and off to Uni, when I started fostering, best thing I ever did. Have had babies, pre-school, some school aged children, but mainly all under 5 years. Very, very rewarding thing to do, you normally see huge improvements in the children which is fantastic. My own children were a fantastic help, and I felt that it made them all much more caring and empathetic than they would have otherwise been. Have fostered for 13 years now, have one son still at home, and, at the moment, two little ones at pre-school. (fostered). The only affects it has had on my own children have been positive.