sandk Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Hi there we are hoping to go to Australia in 2013. At the moment we are foster parents in UK and have been for the last five years. Until 3 weeks ago I had four foster children and my own birth daughter all aged 8 and under - it was a busy 10 months! Now two have moved on and two remain with us. I am on my own a lot as my hubby is in the Army - he is about to deploy for 6 months to sandy shores. I was wondering if anyone fosters in Australia and if any courses etc over here would be worth committing to whilst he is away in order that when we get to Australia we could foster again. We are with a private fostering agency as most councils ran a mile when they heard he was in the army and we would be moving every 2 years. We have found the pay good and the back up even better - anyone with any expereince? Thank you - oh and Happy New Year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest31881 Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Hi, We looked into this a couple of years ago, but circumstances overtook us and we never went through with it.. I live in QLD so this may be state specific and vary from state to state. There is an initial interview where they come to your house and have a chat about adoption, followed by an invitation to attend a day session about adoption. it then moves on to the selection procedure and further training. I believe the time scale was around 12 months from applying to acceptance. That's as I remember it from a couple of years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Here's a link for fostering in WA http://www.dcp.wa.gov.au/FosteringandAdoption/InterestedInFosterCaring/Pages/InterestedInFosterCaring.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest36187 Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Adoption in QLD is notoriously hard, not sure re fostering tho..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest31881 Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Adoption in QLD is notoriously hard, not sure re fostering tho..... It seems to be more time consuming, when we were looking into it we were told that they were desperate for Foster parents in QLD, but the time scale then was at least 12 months before you knew if you were accepted... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandk Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 Thank you for the link. We know that they need carers and we know that we should be able to transfer over some of our skills, but it will be difficulot to establish who our support networks are likely to be etc which might make th einitial process more daunting. Also not sure how long residency would need to be or if only australian citizens etc. Fostering is a very different beast to adoption and we are very keen to continue to foster. I would love to know anyone who has experience of the UK system and the Australian - I am pretty sure the frustrations must be similar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 We fostered for 11 yrs but have been out of the loop for about 4 yrs now so things may have changed but I can give you my observations re fostering in Qld as we encountered it: Psychological profiling took about 12 visits in 3 months and during that time, we also had to attend 8 one hour sessions to familiarise us with fostering in general/protocols etc. Once accepted, a number of training sessions (about 6 a year) were compulsory in order to bring carers "up to speed" on new developments within the care system. Safety officers were grossly overworked and underpaid and often unavailable so that in the case of many emergencies that arose, we could be "on our own" for many hours. Emotional blackmail by the dep't was often the main tool for 'persuading" you to "hang on" to a placement when it was clear that the relationship between the carers and the child had no chance of improving/resolving. Not their fault, they simply had to do all in their power to keep a child placed due to lack of carers. "Family re-unification" seemed to be the mantra (at all costs) often at the cost of the child and at the cost of the carer's misgivings/state of mind. Children were often returned to parents only to be returned to the carer at a later date. Constant advocacy by the carer was the only way to "get through" to the case officer what the carer thought was in the best interests of the child. That advocacy often fell on deaf ears due to budgets/protocols/ignorance or simply because the safety officer was from the "old school" or the "new school" and in opposition to the carer's POV, even though the carer was "at the coal face" Case officer turnover was at a very high rate with one of our charges having 5 case officers in less than 2 years. Previous case officers seemed not to 'keep up to speed" on paperwork/briefings so that new case officers often picked up their case load "blind" ie had no idea what had gone on with previous case officers or the child in question. Budget restraints meant that many cases were not acted on in the best interests of the child eg. One girl we fostered was very promiscuous due to sexual abuse. We advocated an all girls school but these being private, and even with a recommendation from a psychiatrist, funding of $800 dollars a term was refused. We funded it ourselves as we did the psych sessions. Quite a few carers we considered as "dubious". They would take on babies but as soon as the babies were toddling, claim unacceptable behaviour and move them on. They would then ask for another baby and the circle went on. The department are aware of this practice but at least the babies were safe for a while. Children often came into our care, who, having been in care for several years, had little or no personal posessions and "no @rse in their pants". Some carers seemed to view fostering as a money spinner by keeping their charges deprived of the full fostering allowance. Again. the dep't was aware of this practice but as long as the child is safe, seemed to turn a blind eye. Despite the doom and gloom I paint above, and the constant hassle created by strong advocacy, we never regretted fostering and would still be fostering now if not for my ill health. The rewards make it all worth while and when a child (now young adult) turns up on your doorstep and apologises for their earlier behaviours, asking if they can keep in contact and call you "mum and dad", then what more reward can you ask for. I am awaiting the birth of my second grandson to my (foster) daughter who we once despaired of. She is a perfect example of good motherhood, a wonderful parent, a loving and caring partner to her spouse and has broken that cycle of violence/abuse............the whole point of fostering IMHO. It's not enough to keep the kids safe, we have to break that cycle. good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Do you know where in Australia you will be living? Child welfare is administered by the states so each state has a separate procedure - pay and support will vary from state to state. However all of them seem to be crying out for foster parents so I am sure you would be welcomed with open arms if you volunteered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunni1234 Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 We fostered for 11 yrs but have been out of the loop for about 4 yrs now so things may have changed but I can give you my observations re fostering in Qld as we encountered it: Psychological profiling took about 12 visits in 3 months and during that time, we also had to attend 8 one hour sessions to familiarise us with fostering in general/protocols etc. Once accepted, a number of training sessions (about 6 a year) were compulsory in order to bring carers "up to speed" on new developments within the care system. Safety officers were grossly overworked and underpaid and often unavailable so that in the case of many emergencies that arose, we could be "on our own" for many hours. Emotional blackmail by the dep't was often the main tool for 'persuading" you to "hang on" to a placement when it was clear that the relationship between the carers and the child had no chance of improving/resolving. Not their fault, they simply had to do all in their power to keep a child placed due to lack of carers. "Family re-unification" seemed to be the mantra (at all costs) often at the cost of the child and at the cost of the carer's misgivings/state of mind. Children were often returned to parents only to be returned to the carer at a later date. Constant advocacy by the carer was the only way to "get through" to the case officer what the carer thought was in the best interests of the child. That advocacy often fell on deaf ears due to budgets/protocols/ignorance or simply because the safety officer was from the "old school" or the "new school" and in opposition to the carer's POV, even though the carer was "at the coal face" Case officer turnover was at a very high rate with one of our charges having 5 case officers in less than 2 years. Previous case officers seemed not to 'keep up to speed" on paperwork/briefings so that new case officers often picked up their case load "blind" ie had no idea what had gone on with previous case officers or the child in question. Budget restraints meant that many cases were not acted on in the best interests of the child eg. One girl we fostered was very promiscuous due to sexual abuse. We advocated an all girls school but these being private, and even with a recommendation from a psychiatrist, funding of $800 dollars a term was refused. We funded it ourselves as we did the psych sessions. Quite a few carers we considered as "dubious". They would take on babies but as soon as the babies were toddling, claim unacceptable behaviour and move them on. They would then ask for another baby and the circle went on. The department are aware of this practice but at least the babies were safe for a while. Children often came into our care, who, having been in care for several years, had little or no personal posessions and "no @rse in their pants". Some carers seemed to view fostering as a money spinner by keeping their charges deprived of the full fostering allowance. Again. the dep't was aware of this practice but as long as the child is safe, seemed to turn a blind eye. Despite the doom and gloom I paint above, and the constant hassle created by strong advocacy, we never regretted fostering and would still be fostering now if not for my ill health. The rewards make it all worth while and when a child (now young adult) turns up on your doorstep and apologises for their earlier behaviours, asking if they can keep in contact and call you "mum and dad", then what more reward can you ask for. I am awaiting the birth of my second grandson to my (foster) daughter who we once despaired of. She is a perfect example of good motherhood, a wonderful parent, a loving and caring partner to her spouse and has broken that cycle of violence/abuse............the whole point of fostering IMHO. It's not enough to keep the kids safe, we have to break that cycle. good luck Wonderful and inspiring/honest post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest17301 Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I want to foster but the OH is against it. Absolutely no point if we're not both up for it. So many children who need safety and stability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest36187 Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 We were going to adopt. Australia is notoriously hard. You have to do an expression of interest first and complete the massive forms in regard to family and health. Because of health issues we were rejected at this hurdle. It's an excruciatingly hard procedure to get through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 We have found the pay good and the back up even better - anyone with any expereince? Failed to address this in a previous post. you do not get paid for fostering in Qld, you get a fostering allowance which is intended to help with the fostering of the child and is non-taxable. details are here: http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/childsafety/foster-care/support-for-carers/financial-support#carer-allowance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 We fostered in NSW for 5 years. But too old to do it now. Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandk Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 thank you so much for all your replies. It is disheartening to read an account of fostering that I could have written (although not half as well :biggrin:) of our experience in UK. We took on two girls who we were told had moved because the initial foster carer only did 'emergencies'. Actually they were moved becasue the older girl had attacked her foster carer. They never told us. We then had their two brothers 'blackmailed' into placment supposedely for days but urned inot nine months. The older girl contiuned to attack and verbally abuse and despite me getting CAMS help her social worker used to say things like 'well it is going to be stressful when youhave five little ones' and 'all these children are damaged, it is to be expected'. It was not until she had a manic break and attacked her social worker and was peeled off by two police men that anyone took notice. She is now in a secure home and they are saying they donot know how we coped with her. The whole reunification at all costs chills my blood as we have seen the damage it can do. I am just not sure whether to leave a worthwhile but draiing vocation behind when we leave. We never lost any money fostering as we were with an agency and did get a 'reward' element to our allowance, I have to say that with the clubs they go to and the clothes, bikes, summer camp etc we would lose money if we only got the fostering allowance. When I put the children in to Summer club I paid more per day for that than I got - and I still had to do a packed lunch!! Thye are lovely though and the two we have now celebrated new year and Christmas for the first time (through neglect not religous reasons). They have never had a christmas present before, never had a christmas stocking, did not know what to do with a cracker etc. Does make it all worthwhile. Their birth parents say they cannot afford tobuy them a card/gift etc as the child benefit has been taken off them so they literally got nothing and yet still a year on the SW is refusing to rule out these poor little mites going back. To all who are thinking about it the precis on the previous page really is spot on. xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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